THE FROST.—In consequence of the - frost, the Parks were unusually
gay in the beginning of the week. The skaiters were very numerous, and groups of ladies were to be seen promenading on the ice. There were symptoms of thaw on Tuesday night, and though the frost returned on Wednesday it has now en- tirely disappeared.
From the long continuance and intensity of the frost, the River has become covered with floating masses of ice; and should a heavy fall of snow occur be- fore the breaking up of the frost, there appears but little doubt that the Thames would be frozen over in some places, and thus afford a renewal of the scenes of the Winter of 1813-14, when a fair was held on the ice, between London and lackfriars' Bridges. Already the watermen between the bridges have been com- pelled to abandon their occupations. Not a boat is to be seen on those parts of the river, nor a waterman to be found plying at any of its varioue stairs. Every pen place along the water-side is occupied by boats, which have been hauled ip there to protect them from the effects of the ice. Nearly two hundred wher- ies have been placed along the Customhouse-wharf, by permission of the au- horities of that place. Farther down the river by Wapping, where the boats sed are stronger built than those above bridge, the watermen still continue to ly at their various ferries; but they are compelled to employ an extra band, and lake a tedious circuit round the tiers of vessels lying off, in order to get across. 'veral stairs on the Rotherhithe side are completely blocked up by the accu- elation of ice, and the rest ear kept open with considerable difficulty. The Wapping side iecomparatively quite free from ice ; the difference is caused by the bend which the river there takes. The accumulation of ice about London- bridge is not so great as perhaps might be expected ; and coal barges are to he seen almost every half minute, while the tide serves, making their way through its various arches. Off the Customhouse-stairs, there is an accumulation of ice reaching as far as a tier of vessels which are moored nearly in the centre of the river ; and in other places lower down, where the passage of the masses is im- peded by the shipping, similar accumulations are to be found. Still the naviga- tion of the River continues open, and the barges laden with coals are enabled to make their way from the colliers to the different wharfs along the shore : so that at present there exists no pretence for advancing the price of that most essential commodity.—Morning Chronicle, Thursday.
The tender near the Tower was cut off on Thursday from all communication with the shore. Boats could not approach it, and the ice was too frail to ven- ture upon. In this dilemma, recourse was had to passing a line from the ship to the shore, according to the plan for saving lives in cases of shipwrecked vessels. A strong cable-rope was stretched front one of the masts to the Tower-wharf, and upon this a box upon rollers was placed, in which persons and provisions were conveyed to and fro by another line adjusted to the machine.