“ TRAGEDY: OF. THE FIRST BOCA” 95 
Scotland or Taitron Bay, where he could more easily be 
despatched, but they had a bitter awakening. 
At dawn, on Tuesday, morning all the boats were at their 
stations, the three Scotland Bay boats, pulling for Pointe 
Rouge to find the big fish. Captain Modeste’s boat lay off 
Roche Mathieu in Scotland Bay, “Charles Tassard’”’ guarded 
Taitron by Gros Roche, while “Joseph Jolle-rouge’” and 
“Charles Carangue”’ cruised by Kenny’s Point and Point 
Baleine, respectively. Theboatof ‘‘ Vent-vieille’ wasthe first 
to sight the mighty brute, calmly swimming between Dent 
Ma Taitron and Pointe Rouge, so going on the outside of it, 
they plunged two harpoons into the fish, which turned slowly 
as if something had tickled it, and went straight for L’Anse 
Pecheurs, immediately below L’Anse Paoua, where it encoun- 
tered the boat of ‘Fontaine Fish.’’ Receiving two more har- 
poons which accelerated its pace to L’Anse Paoua, the two 
boats fastened on, but with plenty of slack line. Galgitt 
was waiting for it, about 50 yards off the L’Anse Paoua point, 
and successfully put in three harpoons; but this lashed the 
monster into a fury, that was terrible to behold, churning 
the sea with its tail, and casting vast clots of sea spume 
incarnadined with blood from its head and back. This blood 
had already attracted hordes of predaceous fish, conspicuous 
amongst them being the dreaded “‘tintorelles’” or spotted 
sharks, the most fearless and voracious of all. Galgitt 
evidently thinking that now was the time to give it the 
“death flurry’’ tried to lance it, but at the psychologic mo- 
ment, the pirogue sank in a chasm caused by a huge ground- 
swell, the giant fish launched itself into the air, transfixing 
the gallant Galgitt with its iron beak, and completely obliter- 
ating boat and crew with its huge body, which must have 
crushed and stunned the four rowers, who were seated at 
their oars. The two harpooners managed to float long 
enough to be picked up by other boats, that had gathered 
near, but of the heroic captain and his sturdy crew, none 
else were left to tell the tale. Away went the sea-devil, 
with its fin swaying on the waters like a great fan, away past 
Roche Mathieu, where that veteran whaler “ Mathieu,”’ 
fastened another harpoon into it, past Taitron, where near 
