[SOLO]A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson by Watkin Tench - kit

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » November 17th, 2022, 8:48 am

Wow, so quick!

Post by **Kitty** » November 17th, 2022, 8:49 am

chocmuse wrote: ↑November 17th, 2022, 8:48 am Wow, so quick!

I happened to be in here at exactly the same time, so...

Sonia

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » January 11th, 2023, 6:27 pm

I've had a break to deal with life stuff the last couple of months, but I hope to be back on board very soon

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » February 12th, 2023, 5:08 am

This recording gave me SO much trouble! And I'm still very unhappy with it but honestly I never want to see it or hear it again

One problem is that I started recording merrily enough and didn't realise that though my mic was plugged in, Audacity hadn't recognised it. So this is all done on my laptop inbuilt mic and it's pretty awful quality, though I've played with the settings enough to make it bearable (at least I hope so). And then there were all these bangs and background sounds that I had to re-record over later - but I left the birds in again

Anyway, here it is at last. I hope the remaining sections go better than this!

settlementatportjackson_14_tench_128kb.mp3 -- 36:46

Post by **Kitty** » February 12th, 2023, 6:08 am

chocmuse wrote: ↑February 12th, 2023, 5:08 amOne problem is that I started recording merrily enough and didn't realise that though my mic was plugged in, Audacity hadn't recognised it. So this is all done on my laptop inbuilt mic

argh, yes I can so feel for you. This happened to me some times in the beginning as well. For Audacity to recognize your microphone, you need to plug it in BEFORE you open Audacity. This is quite annoying sometimes, but with time you remember to check for it every time before you start recording

The quality is not too bad though, so I don't think you need to re-record. Also the chirping, I think it's birds, they don't disturb top much. Actually they are a bit of local noise which fits in nicely with the scenery described

Anyway, here it is at last. I hope the remaining sections go better than this!
settlementatportjackson_14_tench_128kb.mp3

careful, this is not the complete downloadable link, you need to copy it all: https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/settlementatportjackson_14_tench_128kb.mp3
I corrected it in the MW now

Only one small word to add:

> at 20:08: missed to insert "footnote" here before "how easily people..."

the rest is fine, you need not deal with this chapter of doom ever again

the information was interesting though, especially the different native words on the coast and inland.

Thanks

Sonia

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » April 3rd, 2023, 11:07 pm

I hope you're enjoying your vacation!

Here is my next section: https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/settlementatportjackson_12_tench_128kb.mp3 Duration 12:55.

I'm guessing you can tell that I've lost enthusiasm for this project. But I'm determined to finish it! I hope to get it all done sooner rather than later. Sorry to have dragged it out so long.

I haven't made the edit to the previous section yet, but I will.

Post by **Kitty** » April 8th, 2023, 7:30 am

chocmuse wrote: ↑April 3rd, 2023, 11:07 pmI hope you're enjoying your vacation!

yes it was relaxing and very warm and sunny already down in Spain. Now back in the saddle to work off my PL jobs.

Here is my next section: https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/settlementatportjackson_12_tench_128kb.mp3 Duration 12:55.
I haven't made the edit to the previous section yet, but I will.

I am guessing you meant section 15 here, not 12...I hope you have not overwritten any previous section now with the wrong upload.

In any case, Sections 14 and 15 are straight PL ok now

I'm guessing you can tell that I've lost enthusiasm for this project. But I'm determined to finish it! I hope to get it all done sooner rather than later. Sorry to have dragged it out so long.

I can understand that a solo can be tiresome after a while. I personally am not the solo type either, I prefer group projects and I notice it each time I start another solo (very rare luckily). But it's great that you want to see it till the end.

but in case you really feel it too much of a drag and you don't want to be stressed by this constantly at the back of your mind, there is always the option to have it finished as a group project, it's your choice. Only let me know in that case. For what it's worth, I found the text highly interesting so far and I will definitely listen to it till the end

Have a good Easter !

Sonia

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » May 31st, 2023, 11:42 pm

I'm still here and so sorry for the delay. It's important to me that I finish this and not give up on it... but I'm struggling a bit. I apologise and really plan to get it done soon!

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » July 18th, 2023, 2:29 am

.
Time goes SO fast

I have recorded the first part of the next section but I got halted at the table about settlers at the Ponds, which isn't properly aligned in the Gutenberg text so doesn't make sense. But later I managed to find 'Sydney's First Four Years' in archive.org here: https://archive.org/details/sydneysfirstfour0000capt/page/257/mode/1up so I will read only the table from that. On that note, is it okay if instead of reading the titles of the table each time, can I just read the information? So, instead of saying: "Men's name, Thomas Kelly. Trade. Servant. Number of acres in each allotment, 30..." etc to instead say: "Thomas Kelly, Servant. Thirty acres in allotment. One and a half acres under cultivation..."?? I feel it would read much more pleasantly that way.

Also, I have just come down with a cold

so I don't have the voice to finish it yet. But believe it or not I think of it nearly every morning and think, maybe I'll get to it this afternoon... Not sure if that makes my slowness better or worse!

Enjoy your cruise!

Post by **Kitty** » July 18th, 2023, 3:41 am

so great to hear from you again

I have recorded the first part of the next section but I got halted at the table about settlers at the Ponds, which isn't properly aligned in the Gutenberg text so doesn't make sense.

bizarre, in my browser it aligns properly.

But later I managed to find 'Sydney's First Four Years' in archive.org here: https://archive.org/details/sydneysfirstfour0000capt/page/257/mode/1up so I will read only the table from that.

yes you can use the source for that bit, but it's from a later edition that is not public domain. I will definitely PL against the PD version and if there are any discrepancies I will let you know.

On that note, is it okay if instead of reading the titles of the table each time, can I just read the information? So, instead of saying: "Men's name, Thomas Kelly. Trade. Servant. Number of acres in each allotment, 30..." etc to instead say: "Thomas Kelly, Servant. Thirty acres in allotment. One and a half acres under cultivation..."?? I feel it would read much more pleasantly that way.

yes I think that the title "man" or "trade" is not really necessary becaust it's quite obvious.

You can leave them out and just speak the lines out the way you proposed.

Also, I have just come down with a cold so I don't have the voice to finish it yet.

awww, I hope your voice comes back again soon. I won't be PLing the next two weeks anyway, so for the time being there is no hurry on my side either.

See you after the cruise hopefully

Sonia

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » August 19th, 2023, 3:26 am

Can you believe it! I've done the next section!

https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/settlementatportjackson_16_tench_128kb.mp3 37:24.

Post by **Kitty** » August 23rd, 2023, 8:55 am

chocmuse wrote: ↑August 19th, 2023, 3:26 amCan you believe it! I've done the next section!
https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/settlementatportjackson_16_tench_128kb.mp3 37:24.

wohoooo and the longest so far

well done, great to see you are still on to it.

Interesting facts about the colonization here, must have been hard times.

I found a source text that was clearly PD, so I used that one to check on the table that was incomplete.
https://books.google.lu/books/about/A_Complete_Account_of_the_Settlement_at.html?id=_eNCAAAAcAAJ&redir_esc=y
Maybe if you encounter another such problem, check with this one instead of the non-PD one.

Only a few comments this time:

> at 14:33: "one and one quarter acres in cultivation" - you say "three quarters"
> at 20:29: "William Field - Seaman" - I guess those ---- mean that the trade in the previous line is repeated

what do you think ?
> at 20:50: "John Varnell - husbandman" - same here, the ----can be replaced by John and husbandman
> at 21:26: "John Anderson and wife - attorney's clerk" - also here, ---- can be replaced by attorney's clerk

thanks

(I hope for you the last three chapters are shorter)

Sonia

chocmuse · Post by **chocmuse** » October 14th, 2023, 8:16 pm

Still here...

I'm hugely intimidated by the next section, which is SO LONG!

Also I've been meaning to ask, the beginning of this chapter refers to a map, but there's an editor's note in Project Gutenberg that says there is no map. Do I ignore all references to the map completely? Or just leave out the editor's notes?

Sorry to drag out this project so long. I WILL finish it!

Post by **Kitty** » October 15th, 2023, 1:16 am

hi again, good to hear from you again

chocmuse wrote: ↑October 14th, 2023, 8:16 pmStill here... I'm hugely intimidated by the next section, which is SO LONG!

ah yes I see...it's nearly 15,000 words, I don't think this will fit into a maximum 74 minute recording. This is why it was so good we went with "section" instead of "chapter" from the start. I would strongly suggest dividing this chapter into two. And handily there is a natural break inside the text by the author, marked with a big fat line. Why don't you stop there for section 17 and start section 18 with the rest of the chapter.

That would be:
Section 17: beginning of chapter up to "what I from ignorance deem wonderful is common." (about 6,000 words)
Section 18: from "The last but the most important production yet remains to be considered." until the end (about 9,000 words)

You can read the chapter title as: "Chapter XVII. Miscellaneous Remarks on the country. On its vegetable productions. On its climate. On its animal productions. On its natives, etc., Part 1" and "Chapter XVII. Miscellaneous Remarks on the country. On its vegetable productions. On its climate. On its animal productions. On its natives, etc., Part 2" and also put that in the MW.

They are still very long chapters but more manageable now.

Chapter 18 then would be Section 19, and so on till the end, but that doesn't break the flow of the intros.

Also I've been meaning to ask, the beginning of this chapter refers to a map, but there's an editor's note in Project Gutenberg that says there is no map. Do I ignore all references to the map completely? Or just leave out the editor's notes?

maybe he meant "look at whatever map you happen to have at home"

but back in the days people wouldn't have an atlas as normally as we have nowadays. Well, you can leave out that footnote "look at the map" if you wish, footnotes are optional, if you think they are not adding anything important, leave them out. I usually do that if it's only page references like "cf Harper's magazine, Volume V, page 10" or something.

I also saw there is a curious egg-placing image and was wondering about that, since this is clearly the text we need to read it. I would probably say it the following way:

O - read "1 egg"
O O O - read "3 eggs"
O O O O O - read "5 eggs"
O O O - read "3 eggs"

what do you think ?

good luck with the next chapter, and thank you for the update. As long as I get bimonthly updates I'll be patient and wait for you to finish. We can do this !!! And it's a great book, I honestly enjoy it so far.

Sonia

Post by **annise** » October 15th, 2023, 5:32 am

Just offering an opinion about the map. I've seen a number of older books that had maps printed on different paper and folded and stock inside the cover so they could be opened up for reference. They were also often removed and stuck on the wall or somewhere and thus were separated from the book.
So there may have been a detailed map, but it had vanished by the time PG scanned the book.

Anne