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Primary sourceBook1781

Reise um die Welt, mit Capitain Cook

Heinrich Zimmermann · 1781

Heinrich Zimmermann's 1781 German account of serving as a sailor on Cook's second voyage.

A sailor's firsthand account of serving under Cook on his second voyage around the world.

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Reise um die Welt, mit Capitain CookPDF · 115 pages
Heinrich Zimmermann, Reise um die Welt, mit Capitain Cook, 1781.

About this source

What it is

This is a scanned 1781 book written by Heinrich Zimmermann of Wiesloch, a sailor who served on Captain James Cook's second voyage. Written in German, it records his experiences during the voyage around the world.

Why it matters

As a firsthand account by an ordinary crew member rather than an officer, Zimmermann's narrative offers a different perspective on Cook's voyages than official reports. It shows that Cook's expeditions involved sailors from across Europe, not only British officers.

Look closer

  • Why might a sailor's account of the voyage differ from an officer's official report?
  • What might it mean that this account was written in German rather than English?
  • What questions would you want to ask Zimmermann about his experience that this book might not answer?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of James Cook on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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