THROUGH WILD EUROPE 283 



I hoped, had been obliged to have a battalion of 

 soldiers to protect himself; but by this time this 

 difficulty also had been settled, and I was told that 

 everything was then quiet. I could see for myself 

 from the steamer the extent of the inundations 

 between Galatz and Tulcea, and could not help 

 having misgivings about the effect this would 

 be likely to have on the nesting of the birds. 

 These misgivings were justified. Herr Rettig 

 of Malcoci, whom I called on as soon as I arrived 

 at Tulcea, told me that the nesting-places of 

 many of the birds in the Balta were under water, 

 and that they were also disturbed by the fact 

 that the extra water had enabled the fishermen 

 to penetrate in their lodkas into parts where, as a 

 rule, they were unable to go. It seems that the 

 wild animals had also suffered, hundreds of Wild 

 Cats being drowned, also many Wild Boars ; while 

 others had been driven by the water to small islets, 

 and were so reduced by starvation that the fisher- 

 men knocked them on the head with oars for the 

 sake of their skins. Numbers of Wolves also had 

 been driven from their usual retreats into the forests, 

 where they were doing much damage, devouring 

 cattle and horses daily. 



As Herr Rettig invited me to come and take up 

 my quarters in his house, I did so very gladly, for 

 he knows all the country and speaks the language; 



