Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Kidnapped (Illustrated)
Kidnapped (Illustrated)

Chapter XVII

Cover illustration for Kidnapped (Illustrated)
Context Illustration Reading 1/23 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.
Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.
The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.
In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.
There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.
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.

Kidnapped (Illustrated)

Chapter XVII

Reading 1/23 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.
Line 2
Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.
Line 3
The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.
Line 4
In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.
Line 5
There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

ACROSS preposition US /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading “THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.”

Come noun US /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.”

Could modal verb US /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading “There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.”

Course noun US /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.”

Hand noun US /hand/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.”

Himself pronoun US /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading “The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.”

Passage noun US /ˈpassage/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading “In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.”

Passed noun US /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.”

SILVER noun US /silver/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.”

Since preposition US /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading “The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.”

Skipper noun US /ˈskɪpər/

the captain of a small ship or boat

From this reading “The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.”

Wind noun US /wind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.”

All words in this reading · 79

Every word is available to listen to. 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 THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

ACROSSprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/

from one side of something to the other

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

affair

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

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

Alan

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

Alan's

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

all

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

almost

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

boat

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

BothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

BUTTON

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

called

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

clan

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

clansmen

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

comenounUS /come/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

country

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

coursenounUS /course/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

crowded

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

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

eager

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

equipped

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

ferry

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

hand

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

impossible

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

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

Kinlochaline

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

LAD

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

Macleans

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

Macrob

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

mainland

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

MORVEN

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

names

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

Neil

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

oars

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

other

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

passagenounUS /ˈpassage/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

passednounUS /passed/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

people

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

private

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

pull

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

regular

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

Roy

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

sent

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

shores

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

side

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

SILVER

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

skippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/

the captain of a small ship or boat

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

slow

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

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

Sound

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

speech

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

strong

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

There

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

Torosay

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

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

two

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

very

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

From this reading In the crowded boat this was of course impossible, and the passage was a very slow affair.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The skipper of the boat, on the other hand, was called Neil Roy Macrob; and since Macrob was one of the names of Alan’s clansmen, and Alan himself had sent me to that ferry, I was eager to come to private speech of Neil Roy.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Both shores of the Sound are in the country of the strong clan of the Macleans, and the people that passed the ferry with me were almost all of that clan.

windnounUS /wind/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.

WITHprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading THE LAD WITH THE SILVER BUTTON: ACROSS MORVEN There is a regular ferry from Torosay to Kinlochaline on the mainland.

wretchedly

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

From this reading There was no wind, and as the boat was wretchedly equipped, we could pull but two oars on one side, and one on the other.