The Battle of Tysami was a military engagement involving a warship from the British China Squadron and the Chinese pirates of Chui A-poo. It was fought in September 1849 off Tysami, Harlaim Bay, China, and ended with a Royal Navy victory. It was also the precursor engagement to the larger Battle of Pinghoi Creek where Chui A-poo's fleet was destroyed. Background Chui A-poo is said to have commanded over 500 junks in his career as an outlaw and was a follower of Shap Ng-tsai, another famed pirate of the era. Chui A-poo's base was in Bias Bay which is next to Harlaim Bay and was the location of his harbor and arsenal for constructing war-junks. In February 1849, Chui A-poo fled Hong Kong after murdering two British officers. Intelligence gained by Assistant Superintendent Daniel Caldwell prompted the Royal Navy to respond with a task force. At the time of the battles, Chui commanded 27 war-junks, each mounting twelve to eighteen guns and displacing an average of 500 tons. All together, about 1,800 pirates crewed them with about 200 guns in total which were found to be mostly of English manufacture. Commander John Charles Dalrymple Hay led the Royal Navy vessels which encountered Chui A-poo's fleet. His ship was the 12-gun brig HMS Columbine, with about 80 crewmen and 20 marines. The steamer Canton also participated, her number of crew and armament is not known but she was chartered and armed by a Lieutenant Bridges from the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. She arrived unsuspected at the battle area and assisted in attacking the pirates. On 27 September 1849, the Columbine left Hong Kong for Harlaim Bay and arrived at noon the following day. There they found the village to have been attacked and burnt by the pirates, who fled further northeast to the village of Tysami so the expedition went further until within plain view of the village. It was also destroyed by the pirates and was burning, smoke filled the air according to Commander Hay's report. Battle While off the burning Tysami, at 11:00 pm the Chui A-poo and his men were spotted in fourteen large junks heading southwest in two lines of seven vessels. Hay ordered his men to battle stations, raised his colors and then gave chase. The wind was very calm but Hay counted on this as it meant his steam ships could advance while