THE ZANZIBAR CRISIS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVI, Issue 11048, 28 August 1896, Page 5

THE ZANZIBAR CRISIS.

SUSPICIOUS DEATH OP THE SULTAN. ABDUL KHALED’S CLAIMS. A BRITISH ULTIMATUM. BOMBARDMENT OP THE PALACE. * [Pee, Press Association.] ZANZIBAR, August 26, Abdul Khaled controls 25U0 troops, and the palace guns were trained on the harbour. H.M. vessels Thrush, Sparrow and Philomel were moored opposite, and on the arrival of H.M.S. St George, the flagship, 250 seamen were landed, and Rear-Admiral JEL Ranson sent an ultimatum that unless Khaled completely submitted by nine o’clock to-day the palace would be bombarded. The British residents in Zanzibar have been ordered on board the vessels.

Hamid, the late Sultan, died suddenly, and it is supposed that he was poisonedi Khaled had the body buried within a' couple of hours of the death, and he told Mr Basil S. Cave, British Consul, that he preferred to die before he would quit the palace. Local opinion favours the abolition of the Sultanate and the hoisting of the British flag. LONDON, August 27.

Abdul Khaled declining to submit to the British Admiral, the fleet opened fire on the palace, and the bombardment continued for upwards of an hour, and then began to cease. The extent of the damage or loss of life is not known.