 Birds froze in mid-air, casks of wine, livestock, and whole vineyards were destroyed by the unremitting cold.With what little was left of their possessions, the refugees made their way on boats down the Rhine to Amsterdam, where they remained until the English government decided what to do about them.Ships were finally dispatched for them across the English Channel, and the Palatines arrived in London, where they waited longer while the British government considered its options.