Pre revolvers.
Pre-repeaters/clip fed rifles.
African, Tibetan, North/South American adventures.
Very early breech loaders will be considered.
Exploration, anti-explorer xenophobic locals, suspicious locals not necessarily hostile but not overly helpful.
No earlier than 1650s.
Spanish and Portuguese seems likely but surely other non-Anglo adventurers were seeking fame and fortune? What periods should I be reading about?