Chapter 3 of The Coxswain's Bride is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter III
Chapter 3 of The Coxswain's Bride is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
"You shall see. I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough. Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?" "All ready, sir." "Now look here, Tomlin."
Chapter 3 of The Coxswain's Bride is here in full — 457 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/91 · 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.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading “I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.”
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading “I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.”
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading “Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"”
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading “I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.”
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading “Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"”
the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals
From this reading “Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"”
plural of “twig” — a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
From this reading “Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"”
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading “I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.”
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 I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading "All ready, sir."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
start firing a weapon
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Now look here, Tomlin."
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading "Now look here, Tomlin."
engage in
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now look here, Tomlin."
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "You shall see.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "You shall see.
term of address for a man
From this reading "All ready, sir."
the scum formed by oxidation at the surface of molten metals
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now look here, Tomlin."
plural of “twig” — a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
From this reading Have you got the small twigs broken and ready, Slag?"
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading I have had to make a fire in worse circumstances than the present," returned Hayward, "though I admit they are bad enough.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "You shall see.
Chapter 3 of The Coxswain's Bride by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne holds 457 sentences, grouped into 92 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 3 holds 457 sentences of The Coxswain's Bride, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 3 of The Coxswain's Bride by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 457 sentences, grouped into 92 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 92 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 92 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 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.
Common questions about reading The Coxswain's Bride by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 2327 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #21725, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 193 minutes of reading across 466 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Coxswain's Bride section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 5 chapters of The Coxswain's Bride 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 Coxswain's Bride, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
