In May 1818, four ships sailed from England to search for the Northwest Passage and chart the Arctic coastline of North America. Bad weather made them finally turn the ships back, but the expedition made important contributions to science. Captain John Ross noticed crimson snow that streaked the white cliffs like streams of blood as they were rounding Cape York on the northwest coast of Greenland. A landing party stopped and brought back samples to England. "The Times" wrote about this discovery on December 4, 1818: