Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains
The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains
Context Illustration Reading 1/50 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LADÂK.
7th July.
Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.
I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.
Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.
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 Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains

Chapter VIII

Chapter 8 of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains is here in full — 253 sentences across 51 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/50 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LADÂK.
Line 2
7th July.
Line 3
Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.
Line 4
I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.
Line 5
Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

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.

commenced verb US /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading “I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.”

earliest adjective US /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading “Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.”

leather noun US /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading “I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.”

persuaded verb US /pərˈsweɪdɪd/

past form of “persuade” — win approval or support for

From this reading “I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.”

schemed verb US /skiːmd/

past form of “scheme” — form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

From this reading “I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.”

shoe noun US /ʃuː/

footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material

From this reading “I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.”

string noun US /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading “Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.”

tattoos noun US /ˌtæˈtuːz/

plural of “tattoo” — a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters

From this reading “Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.”

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.

any rate adjective + noun

In this reading “Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.”

earliest dawn adjective + noun

In this reading “Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.”

understand the meaning verb + article + noun counted as “understand … meaning”

In this reading “I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

7th

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

From this reading 7th July.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

animalsnounUS /ˈænəməlz/

plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

breakfastverbUS /ˈbrekfəst/

eat an early morning meal

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

commencedverbUS /kəˈmenst/

past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

craftilyadverb

in an artful manner

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

dawnnounUS /dɔːn/

the first light of day

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/

discovered or determined by scientific observation

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

ereconjunctionUS /er/

an old word for “before”

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

foals

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

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/

a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

JulynounUS /ˌdʒuːˈlaɪ/

the month following June and preceding August

From this reading 7th July.

LADÂK

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

From this reading LADÂK.

leadernounUS /ˈliːdər/

a person who rules or guides or inspires others

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

leathernounUS /ˈleðər/

an animal skin made smooth and flexible by removing the hair and then tanning

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

marchverbUS /mɑːrtʃ/

march in a procession

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

meaningnounUS /ˈmiːnɪŋ/

the message that is intended or expressed or signified

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

moonshi

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

persuadedverbUS /pərˈsweɪdɪd/

past form of “persuade” — win approval or support for

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

PooradjectiveUS /puːr/

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

pressverbUS /pres/

exert pressure or force to or upon

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

purwanah

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

ratenounUS /reɪt/

a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

resolvedadjectiveUS /riˈzɑːlvd/

determined

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

rideverbUS /raɪd/

sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

saveprepositionUS /seɪv/

except for; apart from

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

schemedverbUS /skiːmd/

past form of “scheme” — form intrigues (for) in an underhand manner

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

servicenounUS /ˈsɜːrvəs/

work done by one person or group that benefits another

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

shikarries

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

shoenounUS /ʃuː/

footwear shaped to fit the foot (below the ankle) with a flexible upper of leather or plastic and a sole and heel of heavier material

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

stringnounUS /strɪŋ/

a lightweight cord

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

Subhan

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

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

tattoosnounUS /ˌtæˈtuːz/

plural of “tattoo” — a drumbeat or bugle call that signals the military to return to their quarters

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

UpadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading I did not understand the meaning of this, but ere the journey had well commenced discovered that the shikarries had craftily schemed to save their shoe leather, and through the influence of my 'purwanah' had persuaded the moonshi to press these animals into our service.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Poor Subhan, however, had as leader to march before me who had resolved not to ride before breakfast at any rate.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Up at the earliest dawn, and off, with a string of tattoos and foals following.

Chapter 8 of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains by Augustus Henry Irby holds 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 8 of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains contain?

Chapter 8 holds 253 sentences of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains, unabridged, divided into 51 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains by Augustus Henry Irby exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 253 sentences, grouped into 51 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 8 of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains?

Work through the 51 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 51 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 8 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains

Common questions about reading The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains by Augustus Henry Irby on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains?

Yes. All 4222 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #42674 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #42674, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains take to read?

About 351 minutes of reading across 845 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains section by section

How to work through The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 17 chapters of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains 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 Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Italic
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Marked
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Underscores
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ligatures
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Diary of a Hunter from the Punjab to the Karakorum Mountains; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.