page_title: Battle of the Tiger's Mouth
section_title: Second encounter, November 29, 1809
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of the Tiger's Mouth / Second encounter, November 29, 1809
caption_attribution_description: The Canton estuary
context_page_description: The Battle of the Tiger's Mouth was a series of engagements between a Portuguese flotilla stationed in Macau, and the Red Flag Fleet of the Chinese pirate Ching Shih, led by her second-in-command, the notorious Cheung Po Tsai - known among the Portuguese as Cam Pau Sai or Quan Apon Chay. Between September 1809 and January 1810, the Red Flag Fleet suffered defeat at the hands of the Portuguese fleet led by José Pinto Alcoforado e Sousa, within the Humen Strait - known to the Portuguese as the Boca do Tigre - until finally surrendering formally in February 1810. As her fleet surrendered, Ching Shih herself abandoned piracy on the occasion.
context_section_description: The governor of Macau, Lucas José de Alvarenga, ordered the ouvidor (head-judge) of Macau, energetic Miguel José de Arriaga Brum da Silveira, to organize a squadron with which to fight the pirates and Arriaga promptly had four more ships outfitted and ready for combat. On November 29, the Portuguese flotilla set out for the Humen Strait to link up with the Qing fleet, however as the pirates were likely aware of the arrangement, they attempted to intercept the Portuguese, and clashed just a few hours after the Portuguese had left Macau. The Portuguese and the Chinese pirates fought for about nine hours, until the pirates suffered some 15 sunken ships, several more damaged, and retreated. The pirates regrouped, and later attempted another engagement with the Portuguese, only to suffer further losses. As the Qing fleet was not forthcoming, the Portuguese returned to Macau.
caption: The Pearl River Delta, with Humen marked as Bocca Tigris ("Tiger's Mouth") where the heaviest fighting took place
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