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The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales
The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales
Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.
Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.
When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.
Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.
The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales is here in full — 153 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.
Line 2
Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.
Line 3
When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.
Line 4
Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.
Line 5
The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

All words in this reading · 82

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.

a

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

all

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

and

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

as

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

at

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

away

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

back

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

be

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

beef

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

Bonny

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

Calabar

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

called

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

Canary

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

Captain

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

careful

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

casks

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

coast

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

compelled

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

cool

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

Course

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

day

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

demanded

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

directly

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

Down

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

England

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

far

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

Fernando

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

for

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

four

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

From

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

gem

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

go

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

I

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

instead

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

into

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

it

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

Land

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

leave

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

little

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

Madeira

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

make

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

meant

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

merchants

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

most

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

must

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

next

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

of

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

office

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

on

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

onward

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

pages

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

Po

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

Pray

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

prose

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

quite

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

sail

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

salted

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

shall

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

so

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

steer

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

Teneriffe

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

the

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

them

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

Then

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

there

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

thing

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

this

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

to

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

trade

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

translate

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

treasuring

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

unnecessary

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

up

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

warmth

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

wary

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

was

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

what

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

From this reading The captain, instead of treasuring up this little gem, called at the office next day, and demanded with quite unnecessary warmth what the thing meant, and I was compelled to translate it all back into prose.

When

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

winds

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

From this reading When you leave them make the most Of the trade winds to the coast.

With

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

From this reading Pray be careful, cool, and wary With the merchants of Canary.

you

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

From this reading “From England, Captain, you must steer a Course directly to Madeira, Land the casks of salted beef, Then away to Teneriffe.

you'll

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

From this reading Down it you shall sail as far As the land of Calabar, And from there you’ll onward go To Bonny and Fernando Po”---- and so on for four pages.

Chapter 17 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle holds 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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.

What does chapter 17 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales contain?

Chapter 17 holds 153 sentences of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 153 sentences, grouped into 31 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 17 of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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 The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Common questions about reading The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales?

Yes. All 4188 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #294 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #294, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales take to read?

About 349 minutes of reading across 838 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales section by section

How to work through The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 25 chapters of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales to begin.

  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 The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Other
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Tales
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Following
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Captain of the Polestar, and Other Tales; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.