shap-ng-tsai was blamed for sinking an american ship and three british ships carrying opium in the spring of 1849. that september, a squadron of british ships went to tien-pai and found 100 captured ships there held for ransom, but failed to find the main pirate fleet. then in october, three british ships and eight qing navy junks pursued the pirates to the islands and channels of haiphong, vietnam and fought the pirates for three days. afterwards the expedition reported the destruction of fifty-eight pirate junks carrying 1,200 cannons and 3,000 crewmen. shap-ng-tsai escaped the battle with six smaller junks and 400 men. he later surrendered to the chinese government and accepted the military position.