The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-24 00:00:00

During the last two o.- three days the weather
has been intensely cold, in fact ever since the gale
of last week the glass has indicated an appearance
of frost. During the night of Monday, Negretti
and Zambru's patent thermometer, affixed to the
Royal Humane Society's Receiving-house, in Hyde-
park, registered only 20 deg; being 12 deg. below
freezing point. At nine o'clo-.:k yesterday morning
the mercury rose only to 28 dpg. and at noon the
glass did not exceed 292 deg. The wind was north-
east. The weather was fine o.a. Monday ; but yes-
terday (Tuesday) a dense fog overhung the metro-
polis and suburban districts. The severe frost
which has so suddenly set in lies had the effect of
freezing over the whole of the ornamental waters
in the different Royal parks and many of the canals
near London. The barometer at thO Royal Humune
Society's House on Monday registered 30.17 and
yesterday 30.11 .
Such a sudden change in the weather, coupled
with the fact of the immense sheet of water in the
Serpentine being covered with ice in such a re-
markably brief space of time, and several thousand
persons having ventured upon the frozen surface,
caused Mr. Superintendent Williams to adopt the
most vigorous measures to get the parties off, as
the ice, of course, cannot at present be pronounced
to be sufficiently strong to bear so many thousand
persons. Should the same weather continue until
Sunday next there is no doubt entertained by Mr.
Williams that it wilt be able to bear as many as
may wish to disport themselves upon that river.
For the present he has put on duty a number of
icemen to warn the people from venturing on the
ice, but in spite of the preca*ns thus adopted an
immense number, probably over three thousand,
principally boys, would insist upon crossing the
ice or sliding. A number of gentlemen also could
not be prevailed upon from enjoying the healthy,
but at the present time dangerous,. exercise of
skating.
Up to yesterday morning none of the Royal Hu-
mane Society's apparatus had been taken out into
the parks, from the simple season that no one was
expected to be foolhardy enough to venture at pre-
sent upon the ice, but Mr. Williams received infor-
mation that a number of noblemen and gentlemen
had commenced skating on the ornamental lakes
in the Regent's-park. In order to prevent a loss
of life he immediately despatched a number of ice-
men, and also a temporary canvas receiving-house,
made by Mr. Benjamin Edgington, Duke-street,
Southwark. This was placed on the bank of the
river and fitted up with hot-water baths, beds, &c.
A smaller tent, made by the same gentleman, be-
longing to the skating club, was also erected in
Kensington-gardens, for the Use of the noblemen
and clergy and gentry belonging to the club, and
should the present weather continue, a splendidly-
appointed pavilion will be placed in the gardens,
also made by Mr. B. Edgington. This will be ex-
clusively for the accommodation of tke members of
the Skating Club.
At the Royal Round Pond at least 400 persons
ventured on the ice, and some very graceful feats
were performed by the skaters, such as cutting out
serpents,. comets, &c., and only one immersion took
place during yesterday, and that was of a gentle-
man named Emblin, residing in Kensington-square.
He broke through the frozen surface and became
immersed up to the neck, but was soon got out, and
enabled to return to his home. The ice in the dif-
ferent parks has not been in such a fine condition
for manyyears,ithe surface being as smooth as glass,
and if not broken too soon by the populace will
afford good sport to those who enjoy the exercise
of either skating, or sliding.
The water in the enclosure in St. James's-park
has been partially drawn off, and what remains has
been fully frozen over.. Yesterday morning hun-
dreds disported themselves thereon, and although
the number of skaters and sliders frequently cansed
the ice to break, the depth of water under was in-
sufficient to drown any one, and the only inconve-
nience experienced by the more courageous was a
good ducking, with the exception of a few bruises
and cuts caused by falling on the ice.'
The Victoria Park had a great number of skaters
and sliders upon the frozen waters during the day,
but nothing serious happened.
Hyde Park-corner, Grosvenor-place, and the
roads leading from Blaekfriars, 'Waterloo, South-
wark, and London-bridges, were so slippery, owing
to the frost, that it was impossible for horses draw-
ing heavy vehicles to proceed along ; and as the
animals kept continually falling, it.was found, ne-
cessary to gravel the roadaNtat certain portions of
the day.

At seven o'clock last evening the state of the
glass indicated a continuation of the present severe
weather.

THE NAVY.

The screw steam, storeship Supply, 2, Master
Commander William H. Balliston, from the Medi-
terranean, with antiquities and stores, arrived at
Plymouth yesterday, and was ordered to proceed to
Portsmouth.