A letter from Lieut. D'Archy Wentworth to his father.

Another peice of Sri Lankan history.

This is a letter from Lieut. D'Arcy Wentworth Jnr. to his father D'Arcy Wentworth, Snr.Description of his arrival in Colombo; incidents with the King of Kandy - expectations of war not realised; courtmartial proceedings against Lieut. Thomas Atkins; mutinous behaviour in the 73rd Regiment resulting from excessive alcohol (arrack) consumption.

Colombo 3rd. July 1814

My Dear Father,

I should not have delayed writing to you this long had I not been in hopes of being able to give you some accounts of our first campaign but after all your anxiety I am affeard we shall be disappointed. Upon our arrival at this place the King of Candy and his Adigar was at variance and it wasexpected that in this must soon come to a crisis & ithappened.

The King having sent for the Adigar (Prime Minister) instead of obeying the summons he placed himself under the protection of this government.There is a most extraordinary ceremony attending every thing that is done by the King. When he wishes to see a person who has incurred his displeasure a drawn sword wrapped up in a white cloth is sent to the person offending; it as much as to tell him that he must come and have his head cut off, for I believe there are very few who have thegood fortune to escape after being summoned in this way. The Adigar was not allowed to come farther than Hangweli (a small Fort on the Candian Frontiers)at first and from the frequent correspondence which was carried on with him we all expected a Candian War . Our hopes were in a short time as we then thought realised .

The Troops were ordered to hold themselves in readiness to march at a moments warning and Detachments from the Royal Artillery the second of Fourth CeylonRegiment were immediately sent off to Hangweli. Our Regiment was not to go till the last on account of their not being sufficiently inured to the climate whichis very unwholesome in the interior. People have been known to have gone up the country only for a day and tohave returned with the jungle Fever which is never got rid of without change of climate and then not always. It has raged at Trincomalee this season at a most alarming degree at one time there was not a single Officer in the 3rd Ceylon Regtcapable of doing duty, seven of them have died. After all the preparations that had been made orders unexpectedly received and I assure you very much unwished for werefor the Troops to return to their Duty. Thus were all our hopes blasted.

The King has since sent several threats to the governor and it is expected that he has sent to the coast for five regiments of Sepoys and only waits for the favorable season (the monsoon is now blowing) to commence operations — Colombo the place which our Detachment at present is is considered to be most healthy Part of the IslandThe Heat is excessive here at times and it is even dangerous to go out.

We all arrived in good healthafter a pleasant passage of two months havinglost but one man and two women and they have hitherto since our arrival been so fortunate as to lose but one who was suffocated by drinking arrack. Such changes have taken place in our Detachment. Pike soon after our arrival forwarded a letter demanding a Court Martial and Lt. Atkins was desired to give in His charges this he declined statingas his reason that his most Material Evidenceswere in New South Wales[.] Col. Kerr the Commandant of the Garrison informed us that we must either bring Captain Pike to a Court Martial or that he must be let out of Coventry nosuch thing being allowed in the army.

The Commander in Chiefhaving set his face against it and that if our officershad signed the Proceedings (which would have been done had it not been for myself and a few others) and had they been forwarded in that manner to his Royal Highness he has not the least doubt but it would seriously have affected the Regiment. Pike was in consequence let out of Coventry and is now with us a member of the ArtilleryMess —Lt Atkins's conduct since our arrival has been such as to have compelled Major Gordon to bring him toa Court Martial: he was continually drunk on Parade and would sit down in company with any blackguard who would give him a glass of grog. The Major no less than three times cautioned him in the presence of the whole of us against such conduct declaring that if he still persistedhe would be reluctantly compelled to bring him to a Court Martial nothwithstanding this and the repeated cautions given by myself and others he still persisted.

Returning home one night about half past eight OClockI heard a noise in one of the Ditches in the Fort and upon examining I found it was Lt Atkins who was at this time Officer of the Day had fallenover the wall & was so drunk that it was with the greatest exertions I was able to get him out and I have not the least doubt had I not providentially passed by at the time but that he must have been drowned. Some way or other these repeatedirregularities got to the ears of the Commandant who orderedMajor Gordon to bring Lt Atkins to a Court Martial; he was then advised to forward a memorial to the Governorstating his services and for leave to sell out; this he would not allow. I was told before the Court Martial that he intended abusing the whole of us on the Court Martial and me in particular as he said he had been told I was the cause of his being broughtforward but I could never get him to tell me who it was and must only place it among the numerous other falsehoods he has told. His Defence was a most scurrilous one the production of a celebrated blackguard here who was kicked out of the second Ceylon Regiment, for his infamous conduct[.] Pike and myself were the two who he principally attacked.

The whole of it was ordered tobe expunged by the Court in whose opinion he was lowered by it. I shall refrain repeating to you the language or the subject but it was of such a nature that I can neither forget or forgive as long as I breathe.He intends I understand returning to New South Wales as [soon]as his sentence is made known which cannot be more than twelve months and has had the impertinenceto say that he will inform you of my conduct towards him.

We have had great troublewith the Detachment since our arrival. Several men have been tried by General Courts Martial; the Bearer of this is one of them he was sentenced to be shot but the Court in consideration of his youth good character recommended him to the Governor for Mercy who was pleased to commute the Sentence for transportation for life. I hope Father you will use your endeavours to his misfortune.

Until this unfortunate business he was a lad of the best character a quick well conducted lad and I am well convinced that were it not for their infernal arrack which they have here he would never have been guiltyof the offence striking his superior officer Lt ConnorThere are at this moment two of our men trying for a like offence by a General Court Martial who willbe both shot to a certainty.

The General and Commandant were witnesses to their outrageous conduct and he then told them that they had once experienced his lenity but whatever might now be the sentence that sentence he would carry intoeffect we are anxiously looking for the arrival of the remainderof the Regiment I shall be for some of the outpost as soon as it takes place and I assure that I shall considerit as the greatest blessing that can happen to me I do not thinkat this present moment there is a stricter Garrisonin the world; we have not a moment which we can call our own and are drilled to that degree that I am sureI shall not be able to stand much longer.

I shall now once more entreat you to do some for the poor lad (Douglass) if you possibly can and with Wishes & prayers for your welfare and Happiness

I remain My dear Father your ever affectionate Son

D Wentworth