Chapter 1 of First Footsteps in East Africa is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of First Footsteps in East Africa is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR. TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC. ETC. BOMBAY. I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
Chapter 1 of First Footsteps in East Africa is here in full — 240 sentences across 48 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/351 · 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.
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading “FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.”
a city in western India just off the coast of the Arabian Sea; India's 2nd largest city (after Calcutta); has the only natural deep-water harbor in western India
From this reading “BOMBAY.”
to travel for the purpose of discovery
From this reading “FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.”
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading “FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.”
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading “TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.”
carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
From this reading “I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.”
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading “I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.”
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading “I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.”
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.
speak to
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
a city in western India just off the coast of the Arabian Sea; India's 2nd largest city (after Calcutta); has the only natural deep-water harbor in western India
From this reading BOMBAY.
a body serving in an administrative capacity
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
dearly loved
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
to travel for the purpose of discovery
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
let have
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
carve, cut, or etch into a material or surface
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading FIRST FOOTSTEPS IN EAST AFRICA; OR, AN EXPLORATION OF HARAR.
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO THE HONORABLE JAMES GRANT LUMSDEN, MEMBER OF COUNCIL, ETC.
past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading I have ventured, my dear Lumsden, to address you in, and inscribe to you, these pages.
Chapter 1 of First Footsteps in East Africa by Richard Francis, Sir Burton holds 240 sentences, grouped into 48 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 1 holds 240 sentences of First Footsteps in East Africa, unabridged, divided into 48 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of First Footsteps in East Africa by Richard Francis, Sir Burton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 240 sentences, grouped into 48 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 48 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 48 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 1 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 First Footsteps in East Africa by Richard Francis, Sir Burton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #?, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through First Footsteps in East Africa section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 0 chapters of First Footsteps in East Africa 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 First Footsteps in East Africa, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
