page_title: Cyprus (1816 ship)
section_title: Mutiny
hierarchical_section_title: Cyprus (1816 ship) / Mutiny
caption_attribution_description: English: A beach between Cockle Creek and Fishers Point on Recherche Bay, Tasmania
context_page_description: Cyprus was a brig launched at Sunderland in 1816. The colonial government in Van Diemen's Land purchased her in 1826. In 1829 as she was transporting convicts from Hobart Town to Macquarie Harbour Penal Station, some of the convicts seized Cyprus. They sailed her via Japan to Canton, where they scuttled her.
context_section_description: On 5 September Cyprus was anchored in Recherche Bay, having taken shelter there. Lieutenant Carew and four others went fishing and while they were away some convicts took over the brig. They eventually marooned there all the non-convicts, as well as a number of convicts that chose not to join the mutiny. 
  Nineteen convicts sailed away in Cyprus, having appointed one of their number, William Swallow, the only one with sailing experience, as sailing master. The mutineers first sailed to New Zealand, and then on to the Chatham Islands. There they plundered the schooner Samuel of the seal skins her crew had gathered. From the Islands, Cyprus sailed for Tahiti, but then changed destination to Tonga. The mutineers landed at Keppel's Island, where Ferguson, the leader, and six others decided to remain. Swallow then sailed to Japan. From Japan Cyprus sailed to the Ladrones. There, four more of the mutineers left the ship. Swallow sailed on to Canton. Eventually, the mutineers scuttled Cyprus near Canton and claimed that they were castaways from another vessel. Swallow and three others worked their passage back to Britain aboard the East Indiaman Charles Grant. However, a man the mutineers had left in Canton confessed and by chance his account reached Britain a week before Swallow and his last three companions arrived there. The mutineers were tried and two were hanged. Swallow, and two others, were returned to Hobart, where one was hanged. Swallow died at Port Arthur.
caption: Recherche Bay, Tasmania, where the convicts took control of the brig
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