"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 w^ere 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. The boat of ' ' Vent-vieille" was the 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 



