Come all you sons of Freedom, a chorus join with me
I'll sing a song of heroes and glorious liberty
Not the usual start to an Australian song. After all, Australian history doesn't have all the exciting stuff that other countries have, with fights, and daring escapes, and bold outlaws, and ships being seized and sailed off to freedom on a distant shore. Oh wait, yes it does. But there does seem to be a still prevailing attitude that because it's Australian it's not as good.
This particular song I have become rather fond of. Oh, I didn't care much for it the first time I heard it, it's rather long, it's a song you have to
listen too, and my attention tends to wander. But then I started to notice the voices, and the harmonies and the
glorious liberty of the words. The liner notes of the CD say it was banned as a "treason song".
It's the
Seizure of the Brig Cyprus. There's various versions of it, of course, but the words for the one I have are
here, the Mitchell Library manuscript version. Reading that you don't have the advantage of 'hearing' it but it gives an idea of the tone of the piece--freedom from tyranny, and glorious liberty.
But have you heard of the capture of the Cyprus? Other than in the comments I wrote on Goodreads a few weeks back. Clune's
Pirates of the Brig Cyprus (and that link may not work) is one of very few detailed accounts of the events. Published in 1962, the preface starts with:
This is the first true and detailed story of the piratical seizure of the Cyprus
brig. Many other writers have told the outline of the story briefly, and usually inaccurately, adding fiction to fact, and substituting imagination for solid research; but this is the first book-length narrative of the events.Not much has been done on it since either. It's pretty much forgotten as far as cultural memory goes.
So what are the events? 1829: the
Cyprus was taking a load of prisoners to Macquarie Harbour. They were sitting in Recherche Bay waiting for favourable weather (Sailing west into westerly winds? Fun, I'm sure) when eighteen of the prisoners took control of the ship. They dropped their crew, passengers, military guard and less enthusiastic comrades on the shore, and took off to Freedom, wherever that might be. Quite an adventure for a crew of inexperienced sailors, especially once reality hit. Some of them eventually made it to China, and from there, some headed for the Americas, to fates unknown, but five returned to London. Of them, two, according to Clune, "were the last men executed in England for piracy. They were unsuccessful pirates--neither bloodthirsty nor rapacious--the meekest and mildest and most harmless pirates ever to swing in Execution Dock."
So rebellion, piracy, adventures on the high seas, betrayal, what more does a good story need? And yet, it's been mostly forgotten.
Then sound your golden trumpets,
Play on your tuneful notes,
The Cyprus Brig is sailing,
How proudly now she floats.
