The Great Diamond Hoax

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Asbury Harpending • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Great Diamond Hoax

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

_Final Proof of Good Faith Is Offered in Form of Bag Filled With Collection of Eye-Dazzling Gems._ When I arrived in San Francisco I lost no time in getting in touch with the principals of the diamond deal.

Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

Narrator

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.

Chapter XXVII Reading 1/12

The Great Diamond Hoax Asbury Harpending

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS. _Final Proof of Good Faith Is Offered in Form of Bag Filled With Collection of Eye-Dazzling Gems._ When I arrived in San Francisco I lost no time in getting in touch with the principals of the diamond deal. Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent. From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months. Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

The Great Diamond Hoax

Chapter XXVII

Chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax is here in full — 63 sentences across 13 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/12 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

/dɪˈskʌvərərz dɪˈklaɪn tuː rɪˈviːl loʊˈkeɪʃən ʌv ˈdaɪmənd fiːld bʌt riˈpɔːrt ʌv ˈeɪdʒənt ˈsætɪsfaɪz prəˈmoʊtərz/

Line 2

Line 3

Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

Line 4

From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

/frʌm ðem aɪ lɜːrnd ðæt ðə əˈledʒd dɪˈskʌvəri ʌv ðə ˈdaɪmənd fiːldz hæd bɪn noʊn tuː ðem fɔːr ˈmeni mʌnθs/

Line 5

Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

/tuː ˈprɔːspektərz ˈfɪləp ˈɑːrnəld ənd dʒɑːn slæk wɜːr ðə ərˈɪdʒənəl ˈloʊkeɪtərz/

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.

alleged adjective US /əˈledʒd/

declared but not proved

From this reading “From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.”

discoverers noun US /dɪˈskʌvərərz/

plural of “discoverer” — someone who is the first to think of or make something

From this reading “DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.”

locators noun US /ˈloʊkeɪtərz/

plural of “locator” — a person who fixes the boundaries of land claims

From this reading “Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.”

principals noun US /ˈprɪnsəpəlz/

plural of “principal” — the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

From this reading “_Final Proof of Good Faith Is Offered in Form of Bag Filled With Collection of Eye-Dazzling Gems._ When I arrived in San Francisco I lost no time in getting in touch with the principals of the diamond deal.”

promoters noun US /prəˈmoʊtərz/

plural of “promoter” — someone who is an active supporter and advocate

From this reading “DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.”

prospectors noun US /ˈprɔːspektərz/

plural of “prospector” — someone who explores an area for mineral deposits

From this reading “Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.”

satisfies verb US /ˈsætɪsfaɪz/

third-person singular of “satisfy” — meet the requirements or expectations of

From this reading “DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.”

Slack adjective US /slæk/

not tense or taut

From this reading “Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.”

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.

many months adjective + noun counted as “many month”

In this reading “From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.”

Good Faith adjective + noun

having honest intentions

In this reading “_Final Proof of Good Faith Is Offered in Form of Bag Filled With Collection of Eye-Dazzling Gems._ When I arrived in San Francisco I lost no time in getting in touch with the principals of the diamond deal.”

prominent men adjective + noun

In this reading “Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.”

REPORT OF verb + particle

In this reading “DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.”

touch with verb + particle

arrived in verb + particle counted as “arrive in”

in getting preposition + noun

All words in this reading · 79

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.

AGENTnounUS /ˈeɪdʒənt/

an active and efficient cause; capable of producing a certain effect

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

allegedadjectiveUS /əˈledʒd/

declared but not proved

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

ArnoldnounUS /ˈɑːrnəld/

English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

arrivedverbUS /ərˈaɪvd/

past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress

From this reading _Final Proof of Good Faith Is Offered in Form of Bag Filled With Collection of Eye-Dazzling Gems._ When I arrived in San Francisco I lost no time in getting in touch with the principals of the diamond deal.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

BagnounUS /bæɡ/

a flexible container with a single opening

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

BUTconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

CnounUS /siː/

a degree on the centigrade scale of temperature

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

CollectionnounUS /kəˈlekʃən/

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

concernedadjectiveUS /kənˈsɜːrnd/

feeling or showing worry or solicitude

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

DECLINEverbUS /dɪˈklaɪn/

grow worse

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

DIAMONDnounUS /ˈdaɪmənd/

a transparent piece of diamond that has been cut and polished and is valued as a precious gem

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

DISCOVERERSnounUS /dɪˈskʌvərərz/

plural of “discoverer” — someone who is the first to think of or make something

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

discoverynounUS /dɪˈskʌvəri/

the act of discovering something

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

Eye-Dazzling

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

FaithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

FIELDnounUS /fiːld/

a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

fieldsnounUS /fiːldz/

United States comedian and film actor (1880-1946)

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

FilledadjectiveUS /fɪld/

(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with

FinaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/

occurring at or forming an end or termination

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

FormnounUS /fɔːrm/

the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something

Francisco

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

FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

GemsnounUS /dʒemz/

plural of “gem” — art highly prized for its beauty or perfection

GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

gettingnounUS /ˈɡetɪŋ/

the act of acquiring something

GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

JohnnounUS /dʒɑːn/

a room or building equipped with one or more toilets

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

knownadjectiveUS /noʊn/

apprehended with certainty

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/

having or showing profound knowledge

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

LentnounUS /lent/

a period of 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

LOCATIONnounUS /loʊˈkeɪʃən/

a point or extent in space

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

locatorsnounUS /ˈloʊkeɪtərz/

plural of “locator” — a person who fixes the boundaries of land claims

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

lostadjectiveUS /lɔːst/

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

MnounUS /em/

the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/

plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

OfferedverbUS /ˈɔːfərd/

past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

originaladjectiveUS /ərˈɪdʒənəl/

preceding all others in time or being as first made or performed

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/

Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

principalsnounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəlz/

plural of “principal” — the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated

prominentadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːmənənt/

having a quality that thrusts itself into attention

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

PROMOTERSnounUS /prəˈmoʊtərz/

plural of “promoter” — someone who is an active supporter and advocate

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

ProofnounUS /pruːf/

any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something

prospectorsnounUS /ˈprɔːspektərz/

plural of “prospector” — someone who explores an area for mineral deposits

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

Ralston

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

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

REPORTverbUS /riˈpɔːrt/

to give an account or representation of in words

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

REVEALverbUS /rɪˈviːl/

make visible

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

RobertsnounUS /ˈrɑːbərts/

United States biochemist (born in England) honored for his discovery that some genes contain introns (born in 1943)

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

San

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

SATISFIESverbUS /ˈsætɪsfaɪz/

third-person singular of “satisfy” — meet the requirements or expectations of

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

SlackadjectiveUS /slæk/

not tense or taut

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading From them I learned that the alleged discovery of the diamond fields had been known to them for many months.

ThreenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DISCOVERERS DECLINE TO REVEAL LOCATION OF DIAMOND FIELD, BUT REPORT OF AGENT SATISFIES PROMOTERS.

touchverbUS /tʌtʃ/

make physical contact with, come in contact with

TwonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Two prospectors, Philip Arnold and John Slack, were the original locators.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

William

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

From this reading Three prominent men only were concerned in it at that time, W. C. Ralston, George D. Roberts and William M. Lent.

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

Chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax by Asbury Harpending holds 63 sentences, grouped into 13 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 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax contain?

Chapter 27 holds 63 sentences of The Great Diamond Hoax, unabridged, divided into 13 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax by Asbury Harpending exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 63 sentences, grouped into 13 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 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax?

Work through the 13 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 13 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 27 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 27 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 Great Diamond Hoax

Common questions about reading The Great Diamond Hoax by Asbury Harpending on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Great Diamond Hoax?

Yes. All 2808 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #48834 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Great Diamond Hoax is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #48834, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Great Diamond Hoax take to read?

About 234 minutes of reading across 562 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Great Diamond Hoax section by section

How to work through The Great Diamond Hoax section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 39 chapters of The Great Diamond Hoax to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Great Diamond Hoax

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Great Diamond Hoax, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Table: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Diamond Hoax; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Contents: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Diamond Hoax; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Added: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Diamond Hoax; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Transcriber: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Great Diamond Hoax; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXVII

What does chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax contain?

How do I study chapter 27 of The Great Diamond Hoax?

Can chapter 27 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading The Great Diamond Hoax

How to read The Great Diamond Hoax section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in The Great Diamond Hoax