text_original: These acquisitions, although valuable in themselves, were primarily important as stages on the highway to India. The West Indies were, in 1815, regarded as hardly less im  portant than the East. And not without reason.
text_transcription: THESE ACQUISITIONS ALTHOUGH VALUABLE IN THEMSELVES WERE PRIMARILY IMPORTANT AS STAGES ON THE HIGHWAY TO INDIA THE WEST INDIES WERE IN EIGHTEEN FIFTEEN REGARDED AS HARDLY LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE EAST AND NOT WITHOUT REASON
phonemes: ðiːz ɐkwɪsˈɪʃənz, ɔːlðˈoʊ vˈæljuːəbəl ɪn ðɛmsˈɛlvz, wɜː pɹaɪmˈɛɹᵻli ɪmpˈɔːɹtənt æz stˈeɪdʒᵻz ɔnðə hˈaɪweɪ tʊ ˈɪndiə. ðə wˈɛst ˈɪndiz wɜː, ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪftiːn, ɹᵻɡˈɑːɹdᵻd æz hˈɑːɹdli lˈɛs ˈɪm pˈɔːɹtənt ðɐn ðɪ ˈiːst. ænd nˌɑːt wɪðˌaʊt ɹˈiːzən.