Parry's 1st Arctic expedition. 19th-century artwork of the crews of the British Royal Navy ships HMS Hecla and HMS Griper cutting through ice on 26 September 1819. They are preparing their winter harbour during the Arctic expedition of 1819-1820. This expedition, commanded by William Edward Parry (1790-1855), attempted to sail the Arctic's North-West Passage in the Canadian north between the Atlantic and Pacific. They set records for distance travelled west, but were unable to reach the Pacific. They wintered off Melville Island and returned to England the following year. This artwork is from a journal published in London by Parry in 1821.