Within the limits of the tide the whole mass was in motion; but above
Teddington the river was frozen over, wherever any obstruction occurred
above locks and weirs, and afforded a secure passage. At Richmond there
was nearly three miles of continuous ice transit, and for some
distance above Teddington Lock and Kingston Bridge. All navigation was
necessarily suspended. In the Pool numerous accidents occurred from
ships being swept from their moorings and crushed by the ice, or driven
on shore.
On the night of the 22nd of February a very singular spectacle was got
up on the Serpentine. Late in the evening a fine "brass band," attended
by near a thousand torchbearers, suddenly marched on to the ice on the
ornamental water in Kensington Gardens, and struck up popular airs; as
by a signal, large fires were lighted on the ice, tents were erected,
and barrels of beer were broached. Suddenly, several hundred skaters,
each bearing a lighted lamp at his waist-belt, emerged from the
crowd, and shot under the bridge on to the Serpentine, and commenced
quadrilles, polkas, and divers figures; in a few minutes their erratic
motions were illuminated by red, blue, crimson, and green fires, lighted
on the banks, and by rockets and other lights. This fantastic and
beautiful exhibition was repeated on another evening.
The canals were of course frozen, and all traffic, except of skaters,
was at an end.
In the country the effect of the cold upon the rivers and canals was
the same--they were hard frozen.
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