Blood on the River: Chapters 1–5

by Elisa Carbone
Based on the true story of the settlement of Jamestown, this novel follows twelve-year-old Samuel Collier as he goes from being an orphan on the streets of London to the page of Captain John Smith on his journey to the New World.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–5, Chapters 6–10, Chapters 11–18, Chapters 19–27
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. magistrate
    a lay judge or civil authority who administers the law
    “The magistrate will enjoy this delivery — another criminal off the streets.”
  2. discourse
    extended verbal expression in speech or writing
    On Saturday, the twentieth of December, in the year 1606, the fleet fell from London....
    —Master George Percy, Observations Gathered out of a Discourse of the Plantation of the Southern Colony in Virginia
  3. gangway
    a temporary bridge for getting on and off a ship or boat
    Officers shout orders, and sailors march up the gangways carrying loads on their shoulders.
  4. yeoman
    a free man who cultivates his own land
    I wonder where he is, this Captain John Smith. Reverend Hunt says he is a soldier, an officer — not a ship’s captain but a captain in the English military. And he is a commoner, a yeoman, so I don’t look for him among the gentlemen.
  5. doublet
    a man's close-fitting jacket, worn during the Renaissance
    I see Captain Smith talking to a tall, dark-haired man in a red doublet. The man’s right sleeve is pinned up and empty.
  6. diminish
    lessen the authority, dignity, or reputation of
    I would think that the loss of an arm would diminish a man, but I see that it has not diminished Captain Newport one bit.
  7. monotonous
    tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
    “I have had enough,” Master Wingfield announces. “The food is monotonous and salty, the commoners stink, and the storms will not cease. We will sail back to London at once. Who is with me?”
  8. wield
    have and exercise
    I cringe. Captain Smith is especially angry today, and I know he has gone too far. I have seen how these gentlemen wield their power when they are insulted.
  9. axiom
    a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
    Travel south until your butter melts, then turn right.
    —Old British mariner’s axiom: How to get to the New World
  10. loiter
    linger, remain, or wait around for no apparent reason
    Captain Newport comes strutting toward me. He has a scowl on his face, and I’m afraid he’s about to whip me for loitering on deck.
  11. baritone
    lower in range than tenor and higher than bass
    “Smith.” Captain Newport’s baritone voice fills the ’tween deck. Two burly sailors come down the ladder and stand on either side of him.
  12. gullible
    naive and easily deceived or tricked
    “What else did you hear?” I mock Richard in a singsong voice. I can hardly believe he is so gullible that the sailors are able to fool him like this.
  13. translucent
    allowing light to pass through diffusely
    We are in shallow water now, and the sea is a translucent blue. Moving swiftly across this crystal water are several canoes. In the canoes are the very creatures conjured up by Richard’s stories.
  14. plantain
    starchy banana-like fruit
    The cook names the other things they bring: mangoes, papayas, plantains, potatoes, tobacco.
  15. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    He grimaces as he rubs in the tallow. The sores on his ankles are cracked and oozing.
Created on Wed Jun 08 21:25:06 EDT 2022 (updated Mon Jul 28 16:15:46 EDT 2025)

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