William Swallow was a wayward boy who became a wayward man. Transported as a convict, he became a diligent escaper, but his greatest exploit was when he and some of his fellows commandeered the Cypress in Recherche Bay Tasmania and sailed to Tahiti.

The adventures that follow are as amazing as they are exciting, packed with historical detail and event. Swallow and his companions, and those he inspired, lived in harsh times. Their stories shed entertaining light on a forgotten corner of history. - Sally Odgers, Author

Whitehall London was the environment where William Swallow was raised. At fourteen, he joined His Majesty's Navy in order to escape from the filth and degradation of his home.

Life at sea was hard; he experienced several floggings for insubordination, but he didn't have a moment of regret. He got to see the world and became an experienced mariner.

Swallow's first voyage to Canton, China, was in 1826 aboard the ship Prince of Wales, a 120-gun man of war. The ship's assignment was to escort several British merchant ships from the East India Company who intended to trade with the Chinese. It was on this voyage that his life turned for the worse - he was arrested for pilfering the officer's larder. On arrival back in London he was court-marshalled.

James Porter, also a very young seaman, had a similar life to William Swallow. His life also had a turn for the worse. He began his criminal career at the age of eleven. He went to sea and spent a large part of his young life in South America. He was arrested and sent to Sarah Island where he befriended William Swallow. He too embarked on a wondrous journey.