Cyprus mutiny the mutiny in which the mutineers are depicted as birds. Cyprus mutiny The "Cyprus" mutiny took place in 1829 off the British penal settlement of Van Diemen's Land (now Tasmania, Australia). Convicts seized the brig and sailed her to Canton, China, where they scuttled her and claimed to be castaways from another vessel. On the way, "Cyprus" visited Japan during the height of the period of severe Japanese restrictions on the entry of foreigners, the first Australian ship to do so. The mutineers were eventually captured. Two of them, George James Davis and William Watts, were hanged at Execution Dock,
William Watts William Watts William Watts (c. 1722 – 4 August 1764) was a British official with the East India Company. He was involved in the overthrow of the last independent ruler of Bengal, leading directly to the consolidation of Company rule in India and his own personal enrichment. Through his wife Begum Johnson, he had notable descendants, including a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Watts was born about 1722, a son of William Watts of London, an academy master (teacher), and his first wife Mary Hills. On 24 March 1749 in Calcutta, William married Frances Altham, née Croke (10 April