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Clotelle
Clotelle

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of Clotelle is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Clotelle
Context Illustration Reading 1/12 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.
The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.
The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.
Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.
In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Clotelle

Chapter XXV · Chapter 25

Chapter 25 of Clotelle is here in full — 60 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.
Line 2
The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.
Line 3
The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.
/ðə jʌŋ ˈfrentʃmæn ˈðerfɔːr tʊk hɪz praɪz ɑːn bɔːrd ənd ˈstɑːrtɪd fɔːr ðə ʃɪp/
Line 4
Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.
/ˈdeɪlaɪt wɑːz dʒʌst ˈmeɪkɪŋ ɪts əˈpɪrəns ðə nekst ˈmɔːrnɪŋ wen ðə ˈjuːtəkə weɪd ˈæŋkər ənd tɜːrnd hɜːr praʊ təˈwɔːrd ðə siː/
Line 5
In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

Learner Dictionary

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.

cargo noun US /ˈkɑːrɡoʊ/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading “The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.”

gaining verb US /ˈɡeɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading “ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.”

lighter noun US /ˈlaɪtər/

a substance used to ignite or kindle a fire

From this reading “The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.”

prow noun US /praʊ/

front part of a vessel or aircraft

From this reading “Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.”

securing verb US /sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ/

-ing form of “secure” — get by special effort

From this reading “ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.”

Utica noun US /ˈjuːtəkə/

a city in central New York

From this reading “The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.”

weighed verb US /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading “Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.”

wharf noun US /wɔːrf/

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats

From this reading “ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.”

All words in this reading · 75

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.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

anchornounUS /ˈæŋkər/

a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

appearancenounUS /əˈpɪrəns/

outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

awaitedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪtɪd/

expected hopefully

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

baynounUS /beɪ/

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

cargonounUS /ˈkɑːrɡoʊ/

goods carried by a large vehicle

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

Clotelle

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

completeverbUS /kəmˈpliːt/

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

DaylightnounUS /ˈdeɪlaɪt/

the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

departedadjectiveUS /dɪˈpɑːrtɪd/

well in the past; former

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

Devenant

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

difficultynounUS /ˈdɪfəkəlti/

an effort that is inconvenient

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

ereconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

flyingadjectiveUS /ˈflaɪɪŋ/

moving swiftly

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

FrancenounUS /fræns/

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

FrenchmannounUS /ˈfrentʃmæn/

a person of French nationality

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

gainingverbUS /ˈɡeɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/

a period of time assigned for work

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

immediateadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːət/

of the present time and place

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

justadverbUS /dʒʌst/

and nothing more

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

lighternounUS /ˈlaɪtər/

a substance used to ignite or kindle a fire

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

listverbUS /lɪst/

give or make a list of; name individually; give the names of

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

makingnounUS /ˈmeɪkɪŋ/

the act that results in something coming to be

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

nextadjectiveUS /nekst/

immediately following in time or order

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

onceadverbUS /wʌns/

on one occasion

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

outspread

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

packet-ship

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

passagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

passengersnounUS /ˈpæsəndʒərz/

plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

prizenounUS /praɪz/

something given for victory or superiority in a contest or competition or for winning a lottery

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

prownounUS /praʊ/

front part of a vessel or aircraft

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

rapidlyadverbUS /ˈræpədli/

with speed

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

returnverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrn/

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

sailsnounUS /seɪlz/

plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

securingverbUS /sɪˈkjʊrɪŋ/

-ing form of “secure” — get by special effort

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

shepronounUS /ʃiː/

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

startedverbUS /ˈstɑːrtɪd/

past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/

in the direction of

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/

moved around an axis or center

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

UticanounUS /ˈjuːtəkə/

a city in central New York

From this reading The fine packet-ship Utica lay down the bay, and only awaited the return of the lighter that night to complete her cargo and list of passengers, ere she departed.

vesselnounUS /ˈvesəl/

a tube in which a body fluid circulates

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

weighedverbUS /weɪd/

past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

wharfnounUS /wɔːrf/

a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats

From this reading ON once gaining the wharf, Devenant and Clotelle found no difficulty in securing an immediate passage to France.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Daylight was just making its appearance the next morning when the Utica weighed anchor and turned her prow toward the sea.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading In the course of three hours, the vessel, with outspread sails, was rapidly flying from land.

youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/

(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth

From this reading The young Frenchman therefore took his prize on board, and started for the ship.

Chapter 25 of Clotelle by William Wells Brown holds 60 sentences, grouped into 12 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.

What does chapter 25 of Clotelle contain?

Chapter 25 holds 60 sentences of Clotelle, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of Clotelle by William Wells Brown exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 60 sentences, grouped into 12 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.

How do I study chapter 25 of Clotelle?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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.

Can chapter 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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.

Questions about reading Clotelle

Common questions about reading Clotelle by William Wells Brown on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Clotelle?

Yes. All 2012 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #241 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Clotelle is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #241, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Clotelle take to read?

About 167 minutes of reading across 403 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Clotelle section by section

How to work through Clotelle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 39 chapters of Clotelle to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Clotelle

Words and structures a reader meets early in Clotelle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Years
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
South
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Noted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Beautiful
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Clotelle; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.