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The Moon Pool

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Moon Pool is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Abraham Merritt • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for The Moon Pool

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

The sky was smouldering ochre.

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 I Reading 1/31

The Moon Pool Abraham Merritt

Cover illustration for The Moon Pool

Chapter I

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Moon Pool is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific. The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen. As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York. It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood. The sky was smouldering ochre.

The Moon Pool

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Moon Pool is here in full — 155 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/31 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

Line 2

The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

Line 3

As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

Line 4

It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

Line 5

The sky was smouldering ochre.

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.

Mind noun US /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading “As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.”

All words in this reading · 74

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.

and

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

As

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

baleful

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

been

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

before

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

between

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

board

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

book

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

chapters

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

concluding

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

d'Entrecasteaux

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

data

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

day

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

deck

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

flora

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

For

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

gathering

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

had

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

her

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

herself

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

homesick

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

I

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

in

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

Islands

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

It

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

leagues

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

long

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

longer

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

me

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

Melbourne

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

months

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

mood

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

Moon

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

Moresby

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

mornings

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

most

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

my

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

New

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

ochre

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

From this reading The sky was smouldering ochre.

of

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

on

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

one

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

ones

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

Pacific

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

Papua's

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

Path

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

Port

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

Queen

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

reached

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

safely

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

sat

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

seen

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

she

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

shows

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

sky

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

From this reading The sky was smouldering ochre.

smouldering

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

From this reading The sky was smouldering ochre.

sombrest

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

South

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

Southern

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

specimens

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

stored

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

From this reading The day before I had reached Port Moresby and had seen my specimens safely stored on board the Southern Queen.

The

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

Thing

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

thought

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

two

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

upon

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

upper

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

volcanic

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

From this reading The Thing on the Moon Path For two months I had been on the d'Entrecasteaux Islands gathering data for the concluding chapters of my book upon the flora of the volcanic islands of the South Pacific.

was

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

when

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

with

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

yellow

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

From this reading It was one of Papua's yellow mornings when she shows herself in her sombrest, most baleful mood.

York

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

From this reading As I sat on the upper deck I thought, with homesick mind, of the long leagues between me and Melbourne, and the longer ones between Melbourne and New York.

Chapter 1 of The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt holds 155 sentences, grouped into 31 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 1 of The Moon Pool contain?

Chapter 1 holds 155 sentences of The Moon Pool, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 155 sentences, grouped into 31 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 1 of The Moon Pool?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading The Moon Pool

Common questions about reading The Moon Pool by Abraham Merritt on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Moon Pool?

Yes. All 6269 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #765 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Moon Pool is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #765, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Moon Pool take to read?

About 522 minutes of reading across 1254 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Moon Pool section by section

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

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Moon Pool 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 Moon Pool

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

Thing: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Moon Pool; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Months: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Moon Pool; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
D'entrecasteaux: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Moon Pool; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Islands: A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Moon Pool; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.