The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-17 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.
AUGUST 14.

Yesterday her Majesty the Queen, accempaeied
by his Majesty the King of the Belgians, the Prince
Albert, and the junior members of the British and
Belgian Reyel Families, proceeded in the carriages
of his Majesty froel Lacken to the palace at Brus-
selt, where the Royal party partook of luncheon.
During luncheon, the chorus singers of the SociCee
Royale de la Grande Harmonie perfoimed the follow-
ing serenade concert, under the direction of -el. J.
Fischer :
Hymme a l'amitie ... Limmander.
La Re traite .. • • •. • Soubre.
La Mouette .. • • .. Ruberti.
Pas Redouble .•• .. Lintermans.
Valse Pyrrhique M!chaeli.
At half-past three o'clock her Majesty, with the
King, the Prince Albert, and the members of the
Royal families, proceeded to visit the Hotel de Ville,
the Mmee, and the Church of St. Gudule.
The Royal dinner party in the evening consisted
of the following distinguished personages :—Her
Mjesty the Queen, his Majesty the King of the
Belgians, his Royal Highness the Prince Albert, his
Royal Highness the Due de Brabant, his Royal
Highness the Comte de Flandres, the Countess of
Gainsborougb, Lady in Waiting to her Majesty; the
Honourable Beatrice Byng, Maid of Honour to her
Majesty; his Grace the Duke of Northumberland;
Lord Howard de Walden; Lord Colville, Equerry in
Waiting to ber Majesty ; La Comtesse de Merede
Westerloo, Dame d'Honneur • M. Rogier, Minister
de l'lnterieur; M. de Hcffsch'inidt, Minister des Af-
fairea Etrangeres ; M. Van Hoorbeeke, Minister des
Travaux Publiques; le Lieutenant-General Anoul,
Minister de la Guerre ; le Lieutenant-General Baron
et Madame la Baronne Hooghvorst; M. Charles de
Brouekere, Bourgamastre de Bruxelles; Colonel the
Hon. C. Phipps; Colonel Bouverie, Equerry in
Waiting to his Royal Highness the Prince Albert;
Sir James Clark, Bart. ; M. Quetelet, Directeur de
l'Observatoire ; M. Le Comte de Marnix, le Mare-
achal de la Cour ; M. Van Praet, Ministre de la
Maison du Roi; le Comte de Briey, Gouverneur; le
Comte de Lannoy, A.D.C. Service; le Lieutenant-
Colonel de Maerkerke ; le Major Comte de Fiquel-
mont, Officier-d'Ordonnance de Service, le Comman-
dant de la Garde.

AUGUST 15.
Her Majesty the Queen, his Majesty the King of
the Belgians, his Royal Highness the Prince Albert,
their Royal Highnesses the-Prince of Wales, the Due
de Brabant, the Comte de Flandres, the Princess
Royal, the Princess Alice, and the Prince Alfred,
proceeded from the Palace at Lacken to the neigh-
bouring station, where a special train was in waiting,
and at ten o'clock precisely started for Antwerp.
Upon their arrival at this city their' Majesties were
received by the civil and military authorities. The
Royal cortege proceeded, escorted by the Ist Regi-
ment of Lancers, to the Palace of the King of the
Belgians.
After a short interval, their Majesties, with his
Royal Highness Prince Albert, and the junior mem-
bers of the Royal Families, proceeded to visit the
Exposition, the Musee, and the Cathedral. Their
Majesties were everywhere received by the acclama-
tions of the people.
Upon the return of the Royal party to the Palace,
luncheon was served, and at a quarter-past two
o'clock precisely, the Queen, the King of the Bel-
gians, the Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, the
Due de Brabant, the Princess Royal, the Princess
Alice, the Princess Charlotte, the Comte de Flandres,
and Prince Alfred embarked on board the Victoria
and Albert, attended by the Duke of Northumber-
land and the Ladies: and Gentlemen of the suites of
their Majesties, the Prince, and the Royal Families.
The Royal standards of Great Britain and of Bel-
gium were hoisted, the ships of the squadron manned
yards and saluted, and the vessels proceeded on their
course amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the crowds of
spectators.
His Majesty the King of the Belgians, and their
Royal Highnesses the Duke de Brabant and Comte
de Flandres, took leave of her Majesty, the Prince
Albert, and their royal relatives, upon reaching the
frontier of the Belgian territory, and proceeded in
the Belgian steamer, Le Chemin de Fer, upon their
return to Antwerp.
The royal squadron anchored for the night in the
roads of Flushing.

The Cambridge University Commission had a meet-
ing yesterday, at the official residence of the First
Lord of the Treasury, in Downing-street. Present,
the Bishop of Chester, the Dean of Ely, Sir John
Herschell, Professor Sedgwick, and the Rev. W. H.
Bateson, secretary.
Dispatches were received yesterday at the Colonial-
office from the Governors of Hong-Kong and Ceylon,
the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands,
and the Governor of Malta. Dispatches were also
received from the Governor of Labuan.

THE QUEEN'S VISIT TO BELGIUM

DOVER, AuG. 16.

The royal yachts have passed down the Channel,
hugging the French coast. They were about seven
miles southward of Dover at 3.15 P.m.
No salute was fired, the squadron being too far
from the Dover shore.
The weather thick, wind moderate, but freshening.
A distressing accident occurred on board the Ra-
vensbourne, from Antwerp, one of the General Steam
Navigation Company's vessels, while saluting the
royal yacht on passing. An old man-of-war's man,
John Castles, and who has been for many years in the
service of the company, was employed in firing the
signal carronade, when, upon the seeond discharge,
owing to the explosion of the cartridge while in the act
theof thumb and it home, one of the poor fellow's hands, with
and a portion of the other hand, were blown
off, his wrist and arm were frightfully shattered, and
several severe injuries were inflicted upon his face and
other parts of his person. The cause of the accident
appears to have arisen from not exercising sufficient
caution with respect to the closing of the vent hole.
The carpenter, who was engaged in closing the vent,
did not, it is said, sufficiently cover it with his thumb,
and was at the time of the explosion also severely in-
jured in his hand. Both the sufferers were conveyed
on board her Majesty's ship Retribution, where pro-
per surgical assistance was readily afforded. The
carpenter's wound was immediately dressed, and he
returned to his own vessel. The gunner was taken
into the cockpit, where the Hon. Captain Drummond
stated that every possible attention should be paid to the
poor man, and that if well enough to be removed, he
should be landed at Spithead or some other place, where
he would receive every assistance. The accident excited a
strong feeling of interest among, and threw a gloom
over, the passengers and crew of the Ravensbourne.
"rr Jack was highly respected by his messmates,
and, inconsequence of his invariably
dr firing guns when
n t
upon him
for support—induced the
occasion required, was called the " Gunner..
The
circumstances under which the accident took place—
de
the sufferer being upwards of sixty years of age, and
having a wife and large family dependent fi
passengers, before sending
the poor fellow on board the frigate, to commence a
subscription for his benefit, and in the short space of
about a quarter cf an hour a sum of 201. was col-
lected, and placed, with the man's consent, in the
hands of the captain, to be applied for him in any
manner which might be thought best. The following
statement was also drawn up, and signed by the pas-
sengers on board :
" On board the Ravensbourne, off Flashing,
August 15, 1852.
" The passengers of the Ravensbourne, which left
Antwerp at three o'clock this ct a. ernoon, having ex-
pressed a desire to pay her Majesty—whose yacht was
anchored off Ternouse—every mark of respect in theirs
power, instructions were given by the captain to fire
salute from the ship's carronade on passing the Victoriaa
and Albert. The man who was engaged in the per-
formance iormance of that duty, an old man-of•war sailor, was-
most severely injured by the second discharge, the car-
tridge exploding while he was in the act of rammingit
home, blowing both his hands, and otherwise disabling
him for life.
" With a view of placing this matter before the public
in its true light, as regards the captain and officers of the
vessel, and of engaging the sympathies of the public on
e
behalf of the unfortunate sufferer—who has a wife and
seven children dependent upon him—we, the under_
signed, have deemed it our duty to attest these facts, as
well for our own satisfaction as for the information of
the parties who may be more immediately interested in
ascertaining the facts of the case."
(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY MORNING
The Royal squadron hove in sight from this port
at 10.45 this moreing.

The commercial advices from India aro of a check-
ered
degreechoafraacetteivr.ityAftorßtohmebsaeyastohn, andereh pricesadb an unusual
had
in roost
cases advanced. At Calcutta, however, there was much dul-
ness, and a decline had been experienced. From the Chinee
markets the reports are also unfavourable. At Shangh",
however, the weakness of prices was partly attributable to
difficulties in the interior navigation, in consequence of
drought, and partly to excessive arrivals from Europe.
The Singapore dates are to the Ist of July, but
they mention no change of moment. From Labuan the ac-
counts were to the Ist of June. There was great activity at ,
the seal-mines, Chinese labourers having been obtained and
found very efficient. Fever was prevalent, but not of a fatal
character, and the European residents avoided it by remain.
ing on the hills. At a recent land sale 27 lots, from 10 to
17 acres each, were put up and disposed of, the prices ob-
tained ranging between SO cents and 2,14- dolls. per acre.
The weekly reviews of the Amsterdam and Rot-
terdam produce markets state that business generally had
been rather limited, and that prices had not experienced
material alteration. The sole exception was rice, which had
been more actively
operated in owing to the advance in grain.
Indigo was well supported, and late steady purchases had
favourably influenced. quotations. Coffee and sugar remained
quiet, the contracts concluded being chiefly to supply imme-
diate wants. Rice at Antwerp and Hamburgh was in greater
, demand, and the quotatima of the several descriptions had
I advanced.