ity of water raised by it was not sufficient to
inundate the whole country in an hour!--which was their measure of the
power of an English water-wheel."

When that of Belzoni was completed, the Pasha proceeded to the gardens
of Soubra to witness its effect. The machine was set to work, and,
although constructed of bad materials, and of unskillful workmanship,
its powers were greater than had been contracted for; yet the Arabs,
from interested motives, declared against it. The Pasha, however, though
evidently disappointed, admitted that it was equal to four of the
ordinary kind, and, consequently, accorded with the agreement.
Unluckily, he took it into his head to have the oxen removed, and, "by
way of frolic," to see what effect could be produced by putting fifteen
men into the wheel. The Irish lad got in with them; but no sooner had
the wheel begun to turn than the Arabs jumped out, leaving the lad alone
in it. The wheel, relieved from its load, flew back with such velocity,
that poor Curtain was flung out, and in the fall broke one of his
thighs; and, being entangled in the machinery, would, in all
probability, have lost his life, had not Belzoni applied his prodigious
strength to the wheel, and stopped it. The accident, however, was fatal
to the project and to the future hopes of the projector.

At that time the insolence of the Turkish officers of the Pashalic was
at its height, and the very sight of a "dog of a Christian" raised the
ire of the more bigoted followers of the Prophet. While at Soubra, which
is close to Cairo, Belzoni had a narrow escape from assassination. He
relates the adventure in his work on Egypt:

"Some particular business calling me to Cairo. I was on my ass in one of
the narrow streets, where I met a loaded camel. The space that remained
between the camel and the wall was so little, that I could scarcely
pass; and at that moment I was met by a Binbashi, a subaltern officer,
at the head of his men. For the instant I was the only obstacle that
prevented his proceeding on the road; and I could neither retreat nor
turn round, to give him room to pass. Seeing it was a Frank who stopped
his way, he gave me a violent blow on my stomach. Not being accustomed
to put up with such salutations, I returned the compliment with my whip
across his naked shoulders. Instantly he took his pistol out of his
belt; I jumped off my ass; he retired about two yards, pulled the
trigger, fired at my head, singed the h