Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Dark Frigate
The Dark Frigate

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Dark Frigate is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Charles Boardman Hawes • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Dark Frigate
Context Illustration Reading 1/55 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.
"Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.
Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.
Seek you also a few races of green ginger.
It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Dark Frigate

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of The Dark Frigate is here in full — 277 sentences across 56 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/55 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.
Line 2
"Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.
Line 3
Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.
Line 4
Seek you also a few races of green ginger.
/siːk juː ˈɔːlsoʊ ə fjuː ˈreɪsəz ʌv ɡriːn ˈdʒɪndʒər/
Line 5
It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

Learner Dictionary

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.

bald adjective US /bɔːld/

with no effort to conceal

From this reading “THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cinnamon noun US /ˈsɪnəmən/

aromatic bark used as a spice

From this reading “Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ginger noun US /ˈdʒɪndʒər/

perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems

From this reading “Seek you also a few races of green ginger.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ketch noun US /ketʃ/

a sailing vessel with two masts; the mizzen is forward of the rudderpost

From this reading “THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
palate noun US /ˈpælət/

the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities

From this reading “It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
porcupine noun US /ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn/

relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

From this reading “THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spied verb US /spaɪd/

inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of

From this reading “THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wheaten adjective US /ˈwiːtən/

of or relating to or derived from wheat

From this reading “Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

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.

bald head adjective + noun

In this reading “THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.”

2,053 times in 426,212 chapters
Break out verb + adjective

start abruptly

In this reading “Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.”

4,179 times in 426,212 chapters
come up verb + adjective

bring forth, usually something desirable

In this reading “THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.”

80,012 times in 426,212 chapters

All words in this reading · 69

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
alsoadverbUS /ˈɔːlsoʊ/

in addition

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
baldadjectiveUS /bɔːld/

with no effort to conceal

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BreakverbUS /breɪk/

terminate

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cabinnounUS /ˈkæbən/

small room on a ship or boat where people sleep

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CandlenounUS /ˈkændəl/

stick of wax with a wick in the middle

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
chancenounUS /tʃæns/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cinnamonnounUS /ˈsɪnəmən/

aromatic bark used as a spice

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearverbUS /klɪr/

rid of obstructions

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
cookverbUS /kʊk/

prepare a hot meal

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
currants

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

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

Pending verification
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
facenounUS /feɪs/

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fatadjectiveUS /fæt/

having an (over)abundance of flesh

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fewadjectiveUS /fjuː/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/

superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
flournounUS /ˈflaʊər/

fine powdery foodstuff obtained by grinding and sifting the meal of a cereal grain

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
gentleadjectiveUS /ˈdʒentəl/

soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
gingernounUS /ˈdʒɪndʒər/

perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greennounUS /ɡriːn/

green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HonounUS /hoʊ/

a trivalent metallic element of the rare earth group; occurs together with yttrium; forms highly magnetic compounds

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
KETCHnounUS /ketʃ/

a sailing vessel with two masts; the mizzen is forward of the rudderpost

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
marchpanenoun

almond paste and egg whites

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
nostrilsnounUS /ˈnɑːstrəlz/

plural of “nostril” — either one of the two external openings to the nasal cavity in the nose

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OnepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
palatenounUS /ˈpælət/

the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PORCUPINEnounUS /ˈpɔːrkjəpaɪn/

relatively large rodents with sharp erectile bristles mingled with the fur

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
quarter-deck

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

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Pending verification
quoth

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

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Pending verification
racesnounUS /ˈreɪsəz/

plural of “race” — any competition

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ricenounUS /raɪs/

grains used as food either unpolished or more often polished

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SeekverbUS /siːk/

try to get or reach

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
smokenounUS /smoʊk/

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
spiedverbUS /spaɪd/

inflected form of “spy” — catch sight of

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
storesnounUS /stɔːrz/

plural of “store” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
tasknounUS /tæsk/

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading "Ho, cook," quoth he, "I have a task for thee.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It may chance there is even a little marchpane, for this man Candle had a gentle palate.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thydeterminerUS /ðaɪ/

an old word for “your”, speaking to one person

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
warmadjectiveUS /wɔːrm/

having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wheatenadjectiveUS /ˈwiːtən/

of or relating to or derived from wheat

From this reading Break out from the cabin stores rice and currants and cinnamon and the finest of thy wheaten flour.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading THE PORCUPINE KETCH Looking down from the quarter-deck the Old One spied the cook, who had come up to warm his bald head and fat face in the sun and to clear the smoke from his nostrils.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading Seek you also a few races of green ginger.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 12 of The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes holds 277 sentences, grouped into 56 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.

What does chapter 12 of The Dark Frigate contain?

Chapter 12 holds 277 sentences of The Dark Frigate, unabridged, divided into 56 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 277 sentences, grouped into 56 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 12 of The Dark Frigate?

Work through the 56 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 56 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Dark Frigate

Common questions about reading The Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Dark Frigate?

Yes. All 3551 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #50598 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Dark Frigate is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #50598, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Dark Frigate take to read?

About 295 minutes of reading across 711 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Dark Frigate section by section

How to work through The Dark Frigate section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 24 chapters of The Dark Frigate 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 Dark Frigate

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Dark Frigate, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wherein
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Frigate; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Story
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Frigate; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Philip
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Frigate; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marsham
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Dark Frigate; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.