The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-06 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, Nov. 4.

lonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps had the honour of
dign'ing with her Majesty yesterday.
The Queen's private band attended after dinner in that
'Castle, and played the following selection :
March, " Occasional"—" Judas Maceabens"... Handel,
*overture, "Le Plaits d'Amonr"
Taut* " Fiddle Beekoven.
Selection, "La Ville du Regiment" ........ Dfanizetti.-
The Queen and Prince walked is %he Home-park tb if
morning.
The Royal children took their accustomed exercise.
Nov. 5.
Her Majest'j and his Royal Highness Prince Albe rt,
attended by tae Countess of Gabasberough, Major-Ge se-
ral Buckley, and Captain Du Plat, went to London y es-
terday afternoon by a special train of the Great West era
The Queen visited her Royal Highness the Duel less
of Gloucester, at Gloucester-house, and returned , to
Windsor at 5 o'clock.
The Royal dinner party yesterday included her :oyal
Highness the Duchess of Kent, the Lady in Waiting to
her Royal Highness, the Baroness de SpetlL, Sir gecerge
Couper, and the Rev. the Provost of Eton.
Her Majesty's private band was in attendance after
dinner in the Castle, and performed the following pieces;_
Overture, " Les Chaperons BlaYics"
Sinfonia, "Die Weche Dor Vine"
Tempo de Marcia, Audante Maestoso Spohr.
Larg'netto Choral, Allegretto JJJ
Pivertissem.ent, "Le Prophete" Meyerb•aer
The Queen and Prince, with the four elder Royal
children, the ladies and gentlemen of the Court, and the
doiaestic household, attended divine service this morning
in the private chapel of the Castle.
The Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean of Windsar of&
elated.
The Duchess of Kent was also at the service.

A meneager arrived at the Foreign-office, Downing-
street, at twenty minutes before five yesterday afternoon
frill Calais, with despatches for the Earl of Clarendon
and alio for the Admiralty and the Ordnance Depart-
ment.

Despatches from the Governor of the Cape of Good
Hope war) received on Saturday at the Colonial-office.

DESTRUCTION OF PIRATE JUNKS BY THE

RACEHORSE.

HONG KONG, SEpr. 14.

The Rattler, Commander Mellersh, and Racehorse, 14,
Commander Barnard, had an encounter with pirates on
he 29th of August. It was reported that there were
twenty-five heavily armed junks in a bay to the east of
along Kong, and the Rattler and Racehorse proceeded in
search of them, but, unfortunately, from the Rattler being
detained by as accident to her screw, most of them were
enabled to escape. However, Commander Barnard opened
a sharp fire on three of them, which was answered by a
junk. carrying twelve guns and fully manned ; he, how-
ever, soon silenced them, but being unable, from the
swell in the bay, to take the vessels, he landed, and his
c rev set them on fire ; being filled with gunpowder, they
ianmediately blew up, but they had previously secured
'several of the guns. The crews, to the number of 500,
-were assembled on a hill, but beyond the range of shot
from the Racehorse. She sailed the following day for
Shanghai, with the Governor, Sir John Bowring.
Plymouth. Mail.

THE LAUNCH OF THE ORION, 91 GUNS, AT

CHATHAM.

The launch of this splendid war steam-ship took place
at Chatham shortly after one o'clock this day, from under
one of the new iron sheds. This is the first launch
since the new sheds have been erected. The keel of the
Orion was laid down on the Ist of February, 1850, and
she was originally constructed for an 80-gun ship. Dur-
ing the latter end of the year 1852 the Admiralty decided
that it should be fitted for the screw, and to have engines
of 600-horse power ; consequently, it was cut asunder
in midships, in the beginning of January, 1853; she was
thereby lengthened in midships 24 feet, and received an
addition of 4 feet forward and 12 feet aft, so that she is
now one of the largest ships ever launched from Chat-
ham yard, and she is of greater tonnage than the Water-
loo, 120 guns ; indeed it may be said that she is one of
the finest-built war steam-ships in the Royal navy ; her
length, within the works on the upper deck, is 243 feet,
and 42 feet in width clear on the deck ; the captain's
cabin is about 33 feet in length, and about 30 feet in
width. The following are her dimensions :

Feet in.
Length over all
Length between perpendiculars 233 2
Length of keel for tonnage
Breadth extreme
Breadth for tonnage 55 2
Breadth moulded. 54 4
Depth in held 24 0
Breadth in tonnage, old rule
Dittos ditto new rule 2864 52
Engine-room
Registered tonnage 2305 2

The dockyard authorities issued about 2,000 tiekets
for the seats fitted up for the occasion. These seats ex-
tended all round the ship, and were gaily dressed with
flags of all nations. Every facility was afforded to the
public to wifness the sight, which was looked upon as a
national one. A very splendid booth was fitted for the
reception of the Lords of the Admiralty, and another
for the use of the officers belonging to the Frendh screw
line-of-battle ship Austerlitz, at Sheerness. The Royoi
Marino Band, the Dockyard Band, together with the 18th
Royal Irish, and the 94th bands, were in attendance.
The design of the Orion was by the Surveyor of the •
Navy ; her engines are to be fitted by Penn and Son,
at Greenwich.

A. considerable number of officers of high rank of
both services, from London, Woolwich, and Sheerness,
were present, and accommodated in the booth set apart
for the Admiralty. The arrangements, altogether, were
far superior to those on any former occasion.