'History of the Indian Navy. (1613-1863).' [‎333] (352/622)

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HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAYY.
333
1862, when the abolition of the Service was decided upon by
the Home authorities ; but, before that period, the Indian Navy
was of essential assistance to the Sultan of Zanzibar, in enforcing
his claims as the legitimate successor of his father, Seyyid Said,
in his African possessions. Burghash, fifth son of the late
Seyyid Said, who was lately the honoured guest of the British
nation in London, was disinclined to concur in the decision of
the British Government, and, in 1859, rose in rebellion against
his brother Majid, when the services of the Hon. Company's
steam frigate 'Assaye,' Commander G. N. Adams, were called
into requisition by Colonel (now Major-General) C. P. Rigby,
her Majesty's Consul-General and Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Zan
zibar. Owing to the inability of Sultan Majid to subdue
his brother, the Consul informally made a call for assistance
on Commander Adams. Volunteers to lead the native troops
were called for, and landed from the'Assaye;' but when the
rebellion assumed larger proportions, and the loss in killed and
wounded on both sides was heavy, Commander Adams refused,
without a formal requisition, to permit his officers and men to
take part in the operations, as, had any of them been killed, he
would have been liable to a court-martial. The Political Resi
dent, finding that nothing could be done without British aid,
accordingly made the necessary official demand, upon receipt
of which Commander Adams organized the following force
from the 'Assaye,' under Lieutenant Wood, and from Her
Majesty's gunboat 4 Lynx,' which happened to be at Zanzibar:
—Europeans, 4 Assaye,' one hundred and thirty ; ' Lynx,' thirty ;
provision-carriers and commissariat, under Purser W. John
ston, twenty; and between thirty and forty coal-trimmers, from
the 'Assaye,' to drag the field-pieces and carry rocket-tubes
and ammunition.
The rebels had loop-holed and armed a large country-house
and stockaded the grounds, which the Sultan's troops made
repeated but ineffectual attempts to storm. The small British
column soon shelled the enemy out of their stronghold, when
Seyyid Burghash fled into Zanzibar, and took up his quarters
in the women's apartments in a large mansion near the Sultan's
residence. Commander Adams immediately sent the Marines,
Engineers, and all the sick Europeans who volunteered for
service, and indeed every man he could muster, under Lieu
tenant H. Carey, to assist in blockading the house. Seyyid
Burghash, finding every avenue of flight closed to him, tried to
escape by a plank he threw across the street to the opposite
house; but the sacks of straw placed on the plank, to afford
protection from the fire beneath, were , so riddled with bullets,
that he gave up the attempt. Next morning, when every pre
paration was made to storm the house, which was a large
defensible building, Commander Adams sent a cousin of the
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