Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Forbidden Cargoes
Forbidden Cargoes

Chapter XIX · The Unwilling Guest

Chapter XIX of Forbidden Cargoes, “The Unwilling Guest,” is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Forbidden Cargoes
Context Illustration Reading 1/51 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”
“Bananas and grapefruit.”
Johnny was gaining control of himself.
What if this were a millionaire?
What if it was in his power to make or break them?
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Forbidden Cargoes

Chapter XIX · The Unwilling Guest

Chapter XIX of Forbidden Cargoes, “The Unwilling Guest,” is here in full — 256 sentences across 52 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/51 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”
/duː juː miːn tuː seɪ sed ðə ˈmæɡnət huː hæd bɪn ˈteɪkən ɑːn bɔːrd ðə nɔːrθ stɑːr ðæt ðɪs ʃɪp ɪz ˈloʊdɪd wɪð bəˈnænəz frʌm ˈsentrəl əˈmerəkə ənd ðæt ɪt ɪz nɑːt ˈtʃɑːrtərd baɪ ˈaʊər ˈkʌmpəniː/
Line 2
“Bananas and grapefruit.”
/bəˈnænəz ənd ˈɡreɪpfruːt/
Line 3
Johnny was gaining control of himself.
/ˈdʒɑːni wɑːz ˈɡeɪnɪŋ kənˈtroʊl ʌv hɪmˈself/
Line 4
What if this were a millionaire?
/wʌt ɪf ðɪs wɜːr ə ˌmɪljəˈner/
Line 5
What if it was in his power to make or break them?
/wʌt ɪf ɪt wɑːz ɪn hɪz ˈpaʊər tuː meɪk ɔːr breɪk ðem/

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.

bananas noun US /bəˈnænəz/

plural of “banana” — any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits

From this reading ““Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Central adjective US /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading ““Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chartered adjective US /ˈtʃɑːrtərd/

hired for the exclusive temporary use of a group of travelers

From this reading ““Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gaining verb US /ˈɡeɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading “Johnny was gaining control of himself.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
grapefruit noun US /ˈɡreɪpfruːt/

citrus tree bearing large round edible fruit having a thick yellow rind and juicy somewhat acid pulp

From this reading ““Bananas and grapefruit.””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
loaded adjective US /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading ““Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
magnate noun US /ˈmæɡnət/

a very wealthy or powerful businessman

From this reading ““Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?””

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
millionaire noun US /ˌmɪljəˈner/

a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars

From this reading “What if this were a millionaire?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

on board preposition + noun

on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle

In this reading ““Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?””

68,280 times in 426,211 chapters
gaining control verb + noun counted as “gain control”

In this reading “Johnny was gaining control of himself.”

251 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 52

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading What if this were a millionaire?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AmericanounUS /əˈmerəkə/

North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bananasnounUS /bəˈnænəz/

plural of “banana” — any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boardnounUS /bɔːrd/

a committee having supervisory powers

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
breakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CentraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/

serving as an essential component

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charteredadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːrtərd/

hired for the exclusive temporary use of a group of travelers

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CompanynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/

an institution created to conduct business

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
controlnounUS /kənˈtroʊl/

power to direct or determine

From this reading Johnny was gaining control of himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gainingverbUS /ˈɡeɪnɪŋ/

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading Johnny was gaining control of himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
grapefruitnounUS /ˈɡreɪpfruːt/

citrus tree bearing large round edible fruit having a thick yellow rind and juicy somewhat acid pulp

From this reading “Bananas and grapefruit.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Johnny was gaining control of himself.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading What if this were a millionaire?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JohnnynounUS /ˈdʒɑːni/

“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms

From this reading Johnny was gaining control of himself.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
loadedadjectiveUS /ˈloʊdɪd/

filled with a great quantity

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
magnatenounUS /ˈmæɡnət/

a very wealthy or powerful businessman

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
millionairenounUS /ˌmɪljəˈner/

a person whose material wealth is valued at more than a million dollars

From this reading What if this were a millionaire?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NorthnounUS /nɔːrθ/

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Johnny was gaining control of himself.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StarnounUS /stɑːr/

(astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading What if it was in his power to make or break them?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading Johnny was gaining control of himself.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading What if this were a millionaire?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What if this were a millionaire?

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading “Do you mean to say,” said the magnate who had been taken on board the _North Star_, “that this ship is loaded with bananas from Central America, and that it is not chartered by our Company?”

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 19 of Forbidden Cargoes by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell holds 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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.

What does chapter 19 of Forbidden Cargoes contain?

Chapter 19 holds 256 sentences of Forbidden Cargoes, unabridged, divided into 52 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 19 of Forbidden Cargoes by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 256 sentences, grouped into 52 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 19 of Forbidden Cargoes?

Work through the 52 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 52 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 19 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 19 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 Forbidden Cargoes

Common questions about reading Forbidden Cargoes by Roy J. (Roy Judson) Snell on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Forbidden Cargoes?

Yes. All 3831 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42728 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Forbidden Cargoes is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42728, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Forbidden Cargoes take to read?

About 319 minutes of reading across 767 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Forbidden Cargoes section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 23 chapters of Forbidden Cargoes 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 Forbidden Cargoes

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

Reilly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forbidden Cargoes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Chicago
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forbidden Cargoes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Printed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forbidden Cargoes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
United
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Forbidden Cargoes; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.