Chapter 14 of North of Fifty-Three is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XIV
Chapter 14 of North of Fifty-Three is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf. "There aren't many passengers," he told her. "They're mostly cannery men. But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you. She happens to be making the trip."
Chapter 14 of North of Fifty-Three is here in full — 220 sentences across 44 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/44 · 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.
a factory where food is canned
From this reading “"They're mostly cannery men.”
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading “THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.”
a conical shape with a wider and a narrower opening at the two ends
From this reading “THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.”
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading “THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.”
of a light brown or yellowish brown color
From this reading “THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.”
a teeming multitude
From this reading “THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.”
past form of “pilot” — operate an airplane
From this reading “THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.”
United States inventor who built a steam-powered automobile (1849-1918)
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 THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading She happens to be making the trip."
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
a factory where food is canned
From this reading "They're mostly cannery men.
possessive form of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
one who accompanies and supervises a young woman or gatherings of young people
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
stingless male bee in a colony of social bees (especially honeybees) whose sole function is to mate with the queen
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a conical shape with a wider and a narrower opening at the two ends
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
third-person singular of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading She happens to be making the trip."
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
of a light brown or yellowish brown color
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
a teeming multitude
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading She happens to be making the trip."
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
the force of workers available
From this reading "They're mostly cannery men.
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading "They're mostly cannery men.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
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 "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
past form of “pilot” — operate an airplane
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
uttered with a trill
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She happens to be making the trip."
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
United States inventor who built a steam-powered automobile (1849-1918)
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They're mostly cannery men.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading "There aren't many passengers," he told her.
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading She happens to be making the trip."
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading THE DRONE OF THE HIVE A black cloud of smoke was rolling up from the funnel of the _Stanley D._ as Bill Wagstaff piloted Hazel from the grimy Bella Coola hotel to the wharf.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But you'll have the captain's wife to chaperon you.
Chapter 14 of North of Fifty-Three by Bertrand W. Sinclair holds 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 14 holds 220 sentences of North of Fifty-Three, unabridged, divided into 44 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 14 of North of Fifty-Three by Bertrand W. Sinclair exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 220 sentences, grouped into 44 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 44 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 44 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 14 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 North of Fifty-Three by Bertrand W. Sinclair on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 6283 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19510 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #19510, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 523 minutes of reading across 1257 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through North of Fifty-Three section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 34 chapters of North of Fifty-Three 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 North of Fifty-Three, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
