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of the creek already mentioned, and whilst requiring from the Chinese who came on board the previous evening, to point out the junks which had taken his consort, I laid the armed junks who had springs out, brought their broadsides to bear upon the mouth of the creek, which being narrow, they tried up their boarding nettings, and opened a very sharp fire upon us.
I then gave orders for the boats to pull in and return their fire, and board; and in the short space of a quarter of an hour, the whole force, amounting to four vessels, heavily armed and full of men, were captured, with a considerable loss on the part of the Chinese from our fire of grape and musketry, besides several who were drowned in endeavouring to make their escape.
On our side, I regret to state the loss of one man killed, and many wounded, and have the honor to enclose a list of these casualties.
It was impossible to bring out those which we had captured, as all the armed junks in Tienpak Harbour were observed to be weighing, evidently with the intention of getting under our view on our return; I therefore found it necessary to fire the prizes, which blew up and were consumed, and we then pulled off under a heavy fire from the armed junks of the largest size, who very nearly succeeded in cutting off the cutter, owing to our being obliged to wait for it, which had boarded a cargo junk detained by the Pirates, and which answered to the description mentioned by the Chinese of the junk outside.
I brought away the crew of this cargo junk; and two others...