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On the Spanish Main
On the Spanish Main

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of On the Spanish Main is here in full — 309 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By John Masefield • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for On the Spanish Main
Context Illustration Reading 1/61 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.
The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.
The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.
The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.
They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.
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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.

On the Spanish Main

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of On the Spanish Main is here in full — 309 sentences across 62 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/61 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.
Line 2
The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.
Line 3
The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.
/ðə ˈmɜːrtʃənts huː ˌenˈdʒɔɪd ðer ˈkʌstəm wɜːr ʌv ðoʊz kaɪndz liːst ˈæŋkʃəs tuː ɡɪv ˈkredət/
Line 4
The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.
/ðə ten paʊndz wɜːr bʌt səˈfɪʃənt tuː ˈstɪmjəleɪt dɪˈzaɪər/
Line 5
They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.
/ðeɪ dɪd nɑːt əˈlaʊ ðə ˈdʒɑːli ˈmerənər tuː ˌenˈdʒɔɪ hɪmˈself wɪð ˈeni ˈθɜːroʊnəs/

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.

apiece adverb US /əˈpiːs/

to or from every one of two or more (considered individually)

From this reading “The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mariner noun US /ˈmerənər/

a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading “They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
merchants noun US /ˈmɜːrtʃənts/

plural of “merchant” — a businessperson engaged in retail trade

From this reading “The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Morgan's noun US /ˈmɔːrɡənz/

possessive form of “morgan” — United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)

From this reading “THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
porto noun US /ˈpɔːrtoʊ/

port city in northwest Portugal; noted for port wine

From this reading “THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Spaniards noun US /ˈspænjərdz/

plural of “spaniard” — a native or inhabitant of Spain

From this reading “THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stimulate verb US /ˈstɪmjəleɪt/

act as a stimulant

From this reading “The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thoroughness noun US /ˈθɜːroʊnəs/

conscientiousness in performing all aspects of a task

From this reading “They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 55

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 THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
allowverbUS /əˈlaʊ/

make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anxiousadjectiveUS /ˈæŋkʃəs/

eagerly desirous

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
apieceadverbUS /əˈpiːs/

to or from every one of two or more (considered individually)

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BELLO

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

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Pending verification
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
creditnounUS /ˈkredət/

approval

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
customnounUS /ˈkʌstəm/

accepted or habitual practice

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
desirenounUS /dɪˈzaɪər/

the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state

From this reading The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
enjoyverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪ/

derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
enjoyedverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪd/

past form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
escapenounUS /ɪˈskeɪp/

the act of escaping physically

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GulfnounUS /ɡʌlf/

an arm of a sea or ocean partly enclosed by land; larger than a bay

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

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

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

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

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

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
home-coming

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

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Pending verification
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
jollitynoun

feeling jolly and jovial and full of good humor

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
jollyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɑːli/

full of or showing high-spirited merriment

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kindsnounUS /kaɪndz/

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Maracaibonoun

a port city in northwestern Venezuela; a major oil center

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
marinernounUS /ˈmerənər/

a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
melancholynounUS /ˈmelənkɑːli/

a feeling of thoughtful sadness

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
merchantsnounUS /ˈmɜːrtʃənts/

plural of “merchant” — a businessperson engaged in retail trade

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Morgan'snounUS /ˈmɔːrɡənz/

possessive form of “morgan” — United States anthropologist who studied the Seneca (1818-1881)

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
PORTOnounUS /ˈpɔːrtoʊ/

port city in northwest Portugal; noted for port wine

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
poundsnounUS /paʊndz/

plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SACKnounUS /sæk/

a bag made of paper or plastic for holding customer's purchases

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SpaniardsnounUS /ˈspænjərdz/

plural of “spaniard” — a native or inhabitant of Spain

From this reading THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spendverbUS /spend/

use up a period of time in a specific way

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
stimulateverbUS /ˈstɪmjəleɪt/

act as a stimulant

From this reading The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sufficientadjectiveUS /səˈfɪʃənt/

of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant

From this reading The ten pounds were but sufficient to stimulate desire.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tennounUS /ten/

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

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 THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thoroughnessnounUS /ˈθɜːroʊnəs/

conscientiousness in performing all aspects of a task

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The men had little more than ten pounds apiece to spend in jollity.

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 THE SACK OF PORTO BELLO The Gulf of Maracaibo--Morgan's escape from the Spaniards It was a melancholy home-coming.

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 The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The merchants who enjoyed their custom were of those kinds least anxious to give credit.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading They did not allow the jolly mariner to enjoy himself with any thoroughness.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 10 of On the Spanish Main by John Masefield holds 309 sentences, grouped into 62 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 10 of On the Spanish Main contain?

Chapter 10 holds 309 sentences of On the Spanish Main, unabridged, divided into 62 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of On the Spanish Main by John Masefield exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 309 sentences, grouped into 62 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 10 of On the Spanish Main?

Work through the 62 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 62 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 On the Spanish Main

Common questions about reading On the Spanish Main by John Masefield on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of On the Spanish Main?

Yes. All 4708 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #19396 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of On the Spanish Main is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #19396, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does On the Spanish Main take to read?

About 392 minutes of reading across 942 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read On the Spanish Main section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 On the Spanish Main

Words and structures a reader meets early in On the Spanish Main, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Quarrel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Spanish Main; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Spaniards--his
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Spanish Main; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preliminary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Spanish Main; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Raids--his
A word that appears in the opening chapter of On the Spanish Main; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.