Kap Shui Mun Strait was one of the key waterways connecting Hong Kong's harbor to the Pearl River basin. Its swift currents had originally earned it the name Rapid Water Gate, but since that was considered inauspicious, it was changed to the homophonous Kap Shui Mun.
The pirates' position was extremely well concealed. Mountains surrounded it on three sides and the sea lay on the fourth, while Chek Lap Kok Island sealed off the seaward side. It was a naturally sheltered harbor, and this peculiar enclave had therefore become the pirates' ideal hiding place.
Lantau Island was also known as Lantau Mountain. Nick had already been there on his previous trip to Macau, where he had dealt with smugglers. This time, he returned to Lantau Island to rendezvous with the anti-smuggling fleet anchored at Kap Shui Mun.
The fleet consisted of thirty warships, each carrying fifty sailors. It had originally been commanded by General Liu, but now that he was dead, four deputy generals under him were in charge. Each vessel displaced only 250 to 300 tons and had no wave-breaking structure. Including the hull planking, they were only twelve to fifteen chi wide. Their sails were made of woven hemp cloth, with bamboo poles securing the seams. Compared with European sails, these had greater wind resistance, but that advantage could not make up for the warships' inherent flaws. In terms of speed, they could not even match the worst sailing ships.
Their anchors were made from a hard, heavy wood they called "ironwood." According to them, it had been chosen for its durability. There were no navigators aboard; everything depended on the helmsmen handling the rudders. They disliked long-distance voyages, and even when sailing at sea, they did not drive their warships at full speed. They merely followed compass