Chapter 11 of South Wind is here in full — 232 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XI
Chapter 11 of South Wind is here in full — 232 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury. It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted. Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times. The walls had dripped with human gore. Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
Chapter 11 of South Wind is here in full — 232 sentences across 47 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/46 · 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.
inflected form of “drip” — fall in drops
From this reading “The walls had dripped with human gore.”
internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)
From this reading “Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.”
wound by piercing with a sharp or penetrating object or instrument
From this reading “The walls had dripped with human gore.”
a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
From this reading “No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.”
relating to time long past
From this reading “Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.”
associated with the priesthood or priests
From this reading “Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.”
plural of “rite” — an established ceremony prescribed by a religion
From this reading “Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.”
plural of “russian” — a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading “No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.”
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.
move towards
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
inflected form of “drip” — fall in drops
From this reading The walls had dripped with human gore.
inflected form of “dwell” — think moodily or anxiously about something
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
internal organs collectively (especially those in the abdominal cavity)
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
wound by piercing with a sharp or penetrating object or instrument
From this reading The walls had dripped with human gore.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
having or showing excessive or compulsive concern with something
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
characteristic of humanity
From this reading The walls had dripped with human gore.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
in an inconvenient manner
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
a heavy silvery toxic univalent and bivalent metallic element; the only metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
not any; not one
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
relating to time long past
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
past form of “perform” — carry out or perform an action
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
associated with the priesthood or priests
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
located far away spatially
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
plural of “rite” — an established ceremony prescribed by a religion
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
plural of “russian” — a native or inhabitant of Russia
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
people who have been slain (as in battle)
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Dreadful rites had been performed there, in olden times.
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading Death-groans of victims slain by the priestly knife resounded in its hollow entrails.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The walls had dripped with human gore.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was inconveniently remote; it was difficult of approach; moreover, it was haunted.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The walls had dripped with human gore.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading No Russians dwelt within the Cave of Mercury.
Chapter 11 of South Wind by Norman Douglas holds 232 sentences, grouped into 47 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 11 holds 232 sentences of South Wind, unabridged, divided into 47 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 11 of South Wind by Norman Douglas exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 232 sentences, grouped into 47 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 47 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 47 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 11 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 Wind by Norman Douglas on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 9580 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4508 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #4508, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 600 minutes of reading across 1916 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through South Wind section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 39 chapters of South Wind 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 Wind, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
