152 S. Porter—•Experiences of an Amateur Importer of Foreign Birds


of Aeroplanes and Component Parts, or possibly the Department for the

Importation of Ducks and Geese from the Continent, etc., etc. At last

after inquiring from about a dozen officials, each one more discourteous

than the last, I received the cherished form. This I bore back in triumph

to the customs man at the Dock. Here were more officials and delays.

No, I had the wrong form! Well, where could I get the right form from ?

I must find out! What did I think the customs officers were there

for—to act as an information bureau ? In the meantime, the birds

had been unloaded into one of the wharf sheds and there seemed little

likelihood of my retrieving them before they died of old age. To cut

a long story short, after two days' oscillation between Thames House,

Adelaide House, the Port of London Authority, the shippers, and to

say nothing of frequent visits to the Docks to see how the birds were

getting on, and travelling several hundred miles in London’s worst

traffic, I was about to give up the quest and evidently looking very

despondent in Adelaide House (one of London’s chief custom offices)

when I was approached by an individual who politely inquired if he

could be of any service. I realized by his attitude that he could not

possibly be connected with the Customs so I told him my trouble

and he proved to be an importer’s agent.


In less than two hours we had obtained the form from one of

H.M. Stationers in an obscure street in the City, and the birds were

duly taken away from the docks. The agent’s fee was 5s. and it was

well worth it. Though I think this was only a kind of bait, as his price

gradually went up to five guineas. After then I got someone else.

But I think at the time I would have paid £5, so desperate had

I become. The agent’s advice regarding getting the customs officers

to do anything was certainly very unflattering from their point

of view.


It is practically impossible for the lay person to get birds out of

the London Docks unless he employs an agent who is well up in the

tricks of the trade. Now, I never go down to the docks : upon the

rare occasions when I do receive birds I leave it in the hands of an

agent. Unfortunately this is rather an expensive business, for besides

the agent’s fee of several guineas there are dock fees, Port of London

Authority charges, tips, cartage charges, carriage, duty, etc., etc.



