284 BIRD-HUNTING 



and it was much more comfortable than putting up 

 at the miserable little hotel in Tulcea. 



It was decided to make an expedition together to 

 the forest of Babadagh, distant some fifty kilometres ; 

 but as a first step permission had to be obtained 

 from the prefect before I could travel along the 

 high road. 



This permission took us two days and two 

 journeys into Tulcea to obtain, for my passport, 

 which had been properly viseed in London, had not 

 been viseed by the British Consul in Galatz. I had 

 never heard of such a requirement before in any 

 other country. The prefect was away, and without 

 this tiresome formality no one in his absence had 

 power to do anything. However, on his arrival he 

 kindly gave me a temporary pass, while my passport 

 was posted to Galatz. This favour was probably 

 owing to Rettig's representations ; for though he 

 spoke in Roumanian, I could follow it enough to 

 understand that he was drawing on his imagination, 

 and endowing me with an important official position in 

 London at the British Museum ! When taxed with 

 it afterwards he said it was quite right, that in 

 Roumania an official position is worshipped, while 

 without it one is nobody and can do nothing. 



We were then free to start, and did so the next 

 morning early in a country wagon with two horses. 

 But at every village on the road where we halted 



