Таємничий острів

           "Yes,myfriends,"continuedtheengineer,"sucharethearithmeticalprogressionsofprolificnature;andyetwhatisthismultiplicationofthegrainofcorn,ofwhichtheearonlybearseighthundredgrains,comparedtothepoppy-plant,whichbearsthirty-twothousandseeds;tothetobacco-plant,whichproducesthreehundredandsixtythousand?Inafewyears,withoutthenumerouscausesofdestruction,whicharreststheirfecundity,theseplantswouldoverruntheearth."

           Buttheengineerhadnotfinishedhislecture.

           "Andnow,Pencroft,"hecontinued,"doyouknowhowmanybushelsfourhundredthousandmillionsofgrainswouldmake?"

           "No,"repliedthesailor;"butwhatIdoknowis,thatIamnothingbetterthanafool!"

           "Well,theywouldmakemorethanthreemillions,atahundredandthirtythousandabushel,Pencroft."

           "Threemillions!"criedPencroft.

           "Threemillions."

           "Infouryears?"

           "Infouryears,"repliedCyrusHarding,"andevenintwoyears,if,asIhope,inthislatitudewecanobtaintwocropsayear."

           Atthat,accordingtohisusualcustom,Pencroftcouldnotreplyotherwisethanbyatremendoushurrah.

           "So,Herbert,"addedtheengineer,"youhavemadeadiscoveryofgreatimportancetous.Everything,myfriends,everythingcanserveusintheconditioninwhichweare.Donotforgetthat,Ibegofyou."