Le lendemain, 17 avril, la première parole du marin fut pour Gédéon Spilett. The next day, the 17th of April, the sailor's first words were addressed to Gideon Spilett.
« Eh bien, monsieur, lui demanda-t-il, que serons-nous aujourd’hui ? "Well, sir," he asked, "what shall we do to-day?"
— Ce qu’il plaira à Cyrus, » répondit le reporter. "What the captain pleases," replied the reporter.
Or, de briquetiers et de potiers qu’ils avaient été jusqu’alors, les compagnons de l’ingénieur allaient devenir métallurgistes. Till then the engineer's companions had been brickmakers and potters, now they were to become metallurgists.