Chapter 8 of The Congo Rovers is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter VIII
Chapter 8 of The Congo Rovers is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God." "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!" "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply. "Four bells! Nonsense!"
Chapter 8 of The Congo Rovers is here in full — 418 sentences across 84 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/83 · 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.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “"Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.”
extremely annoying or displeasing
From this reading “"Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.”
possessive form of “heaven” — any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading “"Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"”
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading “Nonsense!"”
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading “"Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.”
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading “"Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.”
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading “"No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."”
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading “"Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"”
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 "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
anew
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
extremely annoying or displeasing
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
possessive form of “heaven” — any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
not any; not one
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
a message that seems to convey no meaning
From this reading Nonsense!"
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
a statement (either spoken or written) that is made to reply to a question or request or criticism or accusation
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
term of address for a man
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
orally recite the letters of or give the spelling of
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
not in physical motion
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
express gratitude or show appreciation to
From this reading "No, sir; everything's still quiet, thank God."
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Four bells, sir; our turn for a spell of sleep again, sir," was the exasperating reply.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Then what did you wake me for, in Heaven's name!"
Chapter 8 of The Congo Rovers by Harry Collingwood holds 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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.
Chapter 8 holds 418 sentences of The Congo Rovers, unabridged, divided into 84 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 8 of The Congo Rovers by Harry Collingwood exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 418 sentences, grouped into 84 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 84 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 84 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 8 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 The Congo Rovers by Harry Collingwood on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3272 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21060 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21060, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 272 minutes of reading across 655 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Congo Rovers section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 8 chapters of The Congo Rovers 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 The Congo Rovers, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
