Chapter 17 of A Sailor in Spite of Himself is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XVII
Chapter 17 of A Sailor in Spite of Himself is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE DESERTERS. "Ah! Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get. "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?" "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
Chapter 17 of A Sailor in Spite of Himself is here in full — 193 sentences across 39 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/38 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading “"You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"”
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading “Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.”
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “"Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.”
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading “"You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"”
plural of “deserter” — a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
From this reading “THE DESERTERS.”
a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading
From this reading “Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.”
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading “"Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.”
blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
From this reading “"Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “"You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Ah!
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
plural of “deserter” — a disloyal person who betrays or deserts his cause or religion or political party or friend etc.
From this reading THE DESERTERS.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
a large medieval vessel with a single deck propelled by sails and oars with guns at stern and prow; a complement of 1,000 men; used mainly in the Mediterranean for war and trading
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
in an industrious manner
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
blowing tobacco smoke out into the air
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DESERTERS.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "You have come to hear how I got aboard this craft, haven't you?"
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
the act of using
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
in or at the place that
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
which person or people
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Here you are," said Ben, who had moved up as close to the galley as he could get.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Where did you get your pipe?" asked Bob, seeing that Ben was puffing industriously at a well-blackened briar-root which Bob had never seen him use before.
Chapter 17 of A Sailor in Spite of Himself by Harry Castlemon holds 193 sentences, grouped into 39 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 17 holds 193 sentences of A Sailor in Spite of Himself, unabridged, divided into 39 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 17 of A Sailor in Spite of Himself by Harry Castlemon exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 193 sentences, grouped into 39 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 39 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 39 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Sailor in Spite of Himself by Harry Castlemon on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 4871 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54741 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #54741, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 405 minutes of reading across 975 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Sailor in Spite of Himself section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 23 chapters of A Sailor in Spite of Himself to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Sailor in Spite of Himself, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
