The engineer, aided by his companions, including Pencroft, who was once more obliged to leave his boat, commenced the preliminary operations, the subject of which was to rid the wool of that fat and oily substance with which it is impregnated, and which is called grease.
L'ingénieur, aidé de ses compagnons, y compris Pencroff, -- il dut encore une fois abandonner son bateau! -- commença les opérations préliminaires, qui eurent pour but de débarrasser la laine de cette substance huileuse et grasse dont elle est imprégnée et qu'on nomme le suint.