text_original: Thus I and my men were kept for years in a perpetual state of 152 Letters from Victorian Pioneers. alarm. We dared not move to supply our huts with wood or water without a gun, and many of my men absconded from my service, throwing away their firelocks, and in some cases destroying the locks and making them wholly useless from sheer terror of the blacks.
text_transcription: THUS I AND MY MEN WERE KEPT FOR YEARS IN A PERPETUAL STATE OF ALARM WE DARED NOT MOVE TO SUPPLY OUR HUTS WITH WOOD OR WATER WITHOUT A GUN AND MANY OF MY MEN ABSCONDED FROM MY SERVICE THROWING AWAY THEIR FIRELOCKS AND IN SOME CASES DESTROYING THE LOCKS AND MAKING THEM WHOLLY USELESS FROM SHEER TERROR OF THE BLACKS
phonemes: ðˈʌs aɪ ænd maɪ mˈɛn wɜː kˈɛpt fɔːɹ jˈɪɹz ɪn ɐ pɚpˈɛtʃuːəl stˈeɪt ʌv wˈʌnhˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti tˈuː lˈɛɾɚz fɹʌm vɪktˈɔːɹiən paɪənˈɪɹz. ɐlˈɑːɹm. wiː dˈɛɹd nˌɑːt mˈuːv tə səplˈaɪ ˌaʊɚ hˈʌts wɪð wˈʊd ɔːɹ wˈɔːɾɚ wɪðˌaʊt ɐ ɡˈʌn, ænd mˈɛnɪəv maɪ mˈɛn ɐbskˈɑːndᵻd fɹʌm maɪ sˈɜːvɪs, θɹˈoʊɪŋ ɐwˈeɪ ðɛɹ fˈaɪɚlɑːks, ænd ɪn sˌʌm kˈeɪsᵻz dᵻstɹˈɔɪɪŋ ðə lˈɑːks ænd mˌeɪkɪŋ ðˌɛm hˈoʊli jˈuːsləs fɹʌm ʃˈɪɹ tˈɛɹɚɹ ʌvðə blˈæks.