for about ten minutes the two sides dueled but only the Chinese were capable making any hits. Bittern was the main target for Chinese fire and was struck a few times before achieving her first hit. Most of the pirates' fire reportedly passed over and through the sails and rigging of the Royal Navy vessels and when the pirates came within range of the Bittern her broadsides became more accurate and she raked several vessels and apparently damaged them severely. Due to this the pirates were forced to regroup and retreat. Attempting to trick the British into running aground; the pirates fled through a mess of reef and sandbars. The trick failed and the Bittern was able to maneuver through the treacherous waters and keep up her heavy fire. Both of the lorchas, the vessels said to have fired the most accurate shots, were sunk along with six other junks. The remaining thirty or so vessels escaped and towed at least five damaged junks away. An estimated 300 pirates became casualties and none were captured, some of the pirates were thought to be European. Bittern and Pavushan did not receive too much damage and none of the British service men were harmed in an action that lasted around an hour. Aftermath The pirate fleet headed north for New Chang where they seized several merchant ships and threatened to kill hostages and attack the port if $100,000 was not paid to them. They killed one Chinese sailor and sent his body ashore in a basket so afterwards the Chinese officials gave in to the demands and the ransom was paid. Before freeing the merchantmen they forced the crews to pay them 1,200 dollars for each ship. Those who could not afford to pay were killed and their ships burned. The pirates then split into several smaller groups and hid themselves among the Pearl River's several streams and tributaries. On August 20, the morning after the battle, Bittern was under tow by Pavushan and headed north to begin freeing the dozens of captured merchantmen all over the region. In western Mid-Tao Strait they encountered thirteen of the pirate craft and after another battle, one was captured and turned over to the Chinese government and ten others were sunk by gun fire or first burned and then sunk. Bittern and Pavushan sunk another junk on August 30, north of Staunton Island, and later