Chapter 16 of South Sea Tales is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
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Chapter XVI
Chapter 16 of South Sea Tales is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
“Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west. What about them? What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?” McCoy calmly considered. He did not refer to the chart.
Chapter 16 of South Sea Tales is here in full — 211 sentences across 43 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/42 · 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.
past form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading ““Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.”
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading “McCoy calmly considered.”
a visual display of information
From this reading ““Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.”
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading “What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?””
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading ““Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.”
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading ““Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.”
make reference to
From this reading “He did not refer to the chart.”
any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground
From this reading ““Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.”
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 “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading What about them?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
past form of “bark” — speak in an unfriendly tone
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
with self-possession (especially in times of stress)
From this reading McCoy calmly considered.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
a visual display of information
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
carefully weighed
From this reading McCoy calmly considered.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading He did not refer to the chart.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
plural of “give” — the elasticity of something that can be stretched and returns to its original length
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading McCoy calmly considered.
a state of confusion and disorderliness
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He did not refer to the chart.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
make reference to
From this reading He did not refer to the chart.
transport commercially
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
happening unexpectedly
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
any of several usually small short-bodied breeds originally trained to hunt animals living underground
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading What about them?
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
(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”)
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What about them?
in or at the place that
From this reading What one has an entrance where I can lay my ship?”
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading “Well, then,” he barked suddenly, like an excited terrier, “the chart gives a whole mess of islands off to the nor'west.
Chapter 16 of South Sea Tales by Jack London holds 211 sentences, grouped into 43 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 16 holds 211 sentences of South Sea Tales, unabridged, divided into 43 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 16 of South Sea Tales by Jack London exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 211 sentences, grouped into 43 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 43 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 43 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 16 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 South Sea Tales by Jack London on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3580 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1208 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1208, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 298 minutes of reading across 716 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through South Sea Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 17 chapters of South Sea Tales 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 South Sea Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
