Chapter 1 of The crimp is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The crimp is here in full — 459 sentences across 92 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen. Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law. It prevented him from completing his crew. Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco. Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
Chapter 1 of The crimp is here in full — 459 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.
plural of “cargo” — goods carried by a large vehicle
From this reading “Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.”
acting as or providing a complement (something that completes the whole)
From this reading “It prevented him from completing his crew.”
deep ditch cut by running water (especially after a prolonged downpour)
From this reading “Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.”
a high place
From this reading “Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.”
plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering
From this reading “The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.”
damaged by decay; hence unsound and useless
From this reading “Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.”
plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading “The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.”
a seaman who works on a ship that hunts whales
From this reading “Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
put down in writing; of texts, musical compositions, etc.
In this reading “The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.”
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 The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
large-mouthed Arctic whale
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
plural of “cargo” — goods carried by a large vehicle
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
acting as or providing a complement (something that completes the whole)
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
deep ditch cut by running water (especially after a prolonged downpour)
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
a high place
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
plural of “hold” — the act of grasping
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
the collection of rules imposed by authority
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
United States poet (1869-1950)
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
the force of workers available
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading It prevented him from completing his crew.
the activity of protecting someone or something
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
damaged by decay; hence unsound and useless
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
the work of a sailor
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
only a very short time before
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
travel by means of steam power
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The law as set down for sailing masters offers a fair measure of protection for seamen.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
a recompense for worthy acts or retribution for wrongdoing
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Men of any kind were scarce in San Francisco.
a seaman who works on a ship that hunts whales
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
during the time that
From this reading Cargoes rotted in ships’ holds while the wages of ordinary seamen mounted to impossible heights.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Captain Gully, of the steam whaler Bowhead, was familiar with this law.
Chapter 1 of The crimp by Henry Leverage holds 459 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 1 holds 459 sentences of The crimp, unabridged, divided into 92 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The crimp by Henry Leverage exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 459 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 1 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 crimp by Henry Leverage on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 459 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #68975 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #68975, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 38 minutes of reading across 92 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The crimp section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 1 chapters of The crimp 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 crimp, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
