Recollections of a Pioneer

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer is here in full — 263 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By J. W. (J. Watt) Gibson • Curated US English Learning Edition

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_Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

I had a rather bitter introduction, but I soon felt well again and began to look about to see what California was really like and to learn the truth of all the wonderful stories I had heard about gold.

We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

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Archivist

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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter III Reading 1/52

Recollections of a Pioneer J. W. (J. Watt) Gibson

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer is here in full — 263 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

_Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California. I had a rather bitter introduction, but I soon felt well again and began to look about to see what California was really like and to learn the truth of all the wonderful stories I had heard about gold. We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible. They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there. Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

Recollections of a Pioneer

Chapter III

Chapter 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer is here in full — 263 sentences across 53 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/52 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

_Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

Line 2

/aɪ hæd ə ˈræðər ˈbɪtər ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən bʌt aɪ suːn felt wel əˈɡen ənd bɪˈɡæn tuː lʊk əˈbaʊt tuː siː wʌt ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə wɑːz ˈrɪli laɪk ənd tuː lɜːrn ðə truːθ ʌv ɔːl ðə ˈwʌndərfəl ˈstɔːriz aɪ hæd hɜːrd əˈbaʊt ɡoʊld/

Line 3

We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

Line 4

They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

/ðeɪ toʊld ʌs əˈbaʊt ˌsækrəˈmentoʊ ˈsɪti ˈbiːɪŋ daʊn ðə ˈrɪvər ənd wiː ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd tuː ɡoʊ daʊn ðer/

Line 5

Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

/ˈwiːvər kriːk wɑːz ə smɔːl ˈtrɪbjəteri ʌv ðə əˈmerəkən ˈrɪvər soʊ wiː went daʊn tuː ðə meɪn striːm ənd muːvd ɑːn daʊn ɪn ðə dərˈekʃən ʌv ˌsækrəˈmentoʊ ˈsɪti/

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.

California noun US /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/

a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes

From this reading “_Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.”

claims noun US /kleɪmz/

plural of “claim” — an assertion of a right (as to money or property)

From this reading “We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.”

introduction noun US /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

From this reading “I had a rather bitter introduction, but I soon felt well again and began to look about to see what California was really like and to learn the truth of all the wonderful stories I had heard about gold.”

location noun US /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

From this reading “We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.”

Mining noun US /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/

the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth

From this reading “_Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.”

Sacramento noun US /ˌsækrəˈmentoʊ/

a city in north central California 75 miles to the northeast of San Francisco on the Sacramento River; capital of California

From this reading “They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.”

tributary adjective US /ˈtrɪbjəteri/

(of a stream) flowing into a larger stream

From this reading “Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.”

Weaver noun US /ˈwiːvər/

a craftsman who weaves cloth

From this reading “Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.”

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.

main stream adjective + noun

In this reading “Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.”

learn the truth verb + article + noun counted as “learn … truth”

In this reading “I had a rather bitter introduction, but I soon felt well again and began to look about to see what California was really like and to learn the truth of all the wonderful stories I had heard about gold.”

wonderful stories adjective + noun counted as “wonderful story”

go down verb + adjective

move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way

In this reading “They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.”

take up verb + adjective

pursue or resume

In this reading “We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.”

in the direction preposition + article + noun counted as “in … direction”

In this reading “Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.”

look about verb + particle

All words in this reading · 73

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.

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

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

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

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading I had a rather bitter introduction, but I soon felt well again and began to look about to see what California was really like and to learn the truth of all the wonderful stories I had heard about gold.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

againadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

AtprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/

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

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

bitteradjectiveUS /ˈbɪtər/

marked by strong resentment or cynicism

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

CalifornianounUS /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/

a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

CitynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

claimsnounUS /kleɪmz/

plural of “claim” — an assertion of a right (as to money or property)

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

CreeknounUS /kriːk/

a natural stream of water smaller than a river (and often a tributary of a river)

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

decidedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪˈsaɪdɪd/

recognizable; marked

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

didn't

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

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

directionnounUS /dərˈekʃən/

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

GoldnounUS /ɡoʊld/

coins made of gold

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

immediatelyadverbUS /ˌɪˈmiːdiːətli/

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

introductionnounUS /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/

the act of beginning something new

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

learnverbUS /lɜːrn/

gain knowledge or skills

likeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

locationnounUS /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

MiningnounUS /ˈmaɪnɪŋ/

the act of extracting ores or coal etc from the earth

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

movedadjectiveUS /muːvd/

being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

rivernounUS /ˈrɪvər/

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

SacramentonounUS /ˌsækrəˈmentoʊ/

a city in north central California 75 miles to the northeast of San Francisco on the Sacramento River; capital of California

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

smalladjectiveUS /smɔːl/

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

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

storiesnounUS /ˈstɔːriz/

plural of “story” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

streamnounUS /striːm/

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

tributaryadjectiveUS /ˈtrɪbjəteri/

(of a stream) flowing into a larger stream

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading They told us about Sacramento City being down the river and we decided to go down there.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

wantedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːntɪd/

desired or wished for or sought

From this reading We didn't want to take up claims immediately--wanted to look about and get the best location possible.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

WeavernounUS /ˈwiːvər/

a craftsman who weaves cloth

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Weaver Creek was a small tributary of the American River, so we went down to the main stream and moved on down in the direction of Sacramento City.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading _Gold Mining in '49 and '50._ At last we were in California.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

Chapter 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer by J. W. (J. Watt) Gibson holds 263 sentences, grouped into 53 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 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer contain?

Chapter 3 holds 263 sentences of Recollections of a Pioneer, unabridged, divided into 53 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer by J. W. (J. Watt) Gibson exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 263 sentences, grouped into 53 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 3 of Recollections of a Pioneer?

Work through the 53 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 53 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 3 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.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #49089, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 276 minutes of reading across 664 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Chapter III

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