Heinrich Zimmermann | Images of Old Hawaiʻi

Heinrich Zimmermann (1741–1805) was one of the few Germans who participated in James Cook’s voyages of discovery. As a sailor in the third voyage (1776 to 1779), he kept a journal that later became the basis for his account Reise um die Welt, which was translated into English and later published as Account of the Third Voyage of Captain Cook.

“I commenced my wanderings in the year 1770, and, being unable to obtain work in my profession of belt-maker, partly because at that time I had little knowledge of foreign languages and partly on account of the lack of artisans, I was forced to take to other means of earning my livelihood …”

“… so that at one time I was employed at Geneva by a brazier, and also by a gilder; at another time at Lyons by a bellfounder; and again by a sword-cutler at Paris ; and in a sugar-refinery in London.”

“The natural courage of a native of the Palatinate determined me to adopt a seafaring life, and as in the year 1776 two war-sloops, the old ‘Resolution’ and ‘Discovery,’ were being sent out by Great Britain on an exploring expedition, on 11th March of the same year I signed on the latter ship as a common sailor.”

“The ‘Resolution’ had 112 men and sixteen guns, and the ‘Discovery’ 72 men and twelve guns on board: the former was commanded by the famous circumnavigator Captain James Cook as Commodore, and the latter by Captain Charles Clerke.”

“On 12th May of the aforesaid year – 1776 – both ships put to sea from the port of Deptford, and after we had laid in the requisite supplies of ammunition at Woolwich and of provisions at Plymouth the ‘Resolution’ sailed on 12th July, her immediate goal being the Cape of Good Hope.”

“The ‘Discovery’ was prevented from leaving at this time, but she followed the ‘Resolution’ on 1st August. The principal object of the voyage was the discovery of a passage between the two continents of America and Asia on the north-western or north-eastern side …”

“… and for this a prize of £10,000 had been offered, or a further sum of £5,000 if we reached the 5th degree from the Pole. The well-known Tahitian O-mai was also to be returned to his home.”

“From Plymouth our course was set towards the promontory of the Cape of Good Hope, almost directly south, and past the Canary Islands, off the kingdom of Morocco, in Africa, and we bore towards the south-east without setting foot upon a single island.”

After sailing in areas of the South Pacific, Zimmermann notes, “our supply of fresh water becoming very reduced, we were obliged to distil sea-water. …”

“By good fortune we discovered, on 20th January [1778], in about 22 degrees north latitude and 225 east longitude, a somewhat hilly island, and were encouraged to think that we might find fresh water here. Many of the inhabitants came off to us in their canoes; they were the finest of all the native peoples we had met with.”

“We tried to tempt them to the ships with friendly signs and by exhibiting various presents; these latter they at first refused, and from their evident astonishment at our ships we perceived that they had never seen ships before.”

“One of them at length ventured to come close to the ships, and he was presented with a piece of red cloth; whereupon his companions took courage and approached likewise, and they too received presents.”

“On being shown the live pigs which we had on board, and which we had brought with us from Tahiti, they immediately cried Booa, and from this and from the rest of their speech it was evident that the language in use here was not unlike that of the Tahitians.”

“They pointed to the island and made signs to indicate to us that they too had pigs, and they understood at once when we indicated that we would be glad to be supplied with some of these animals. Thereupon some of them returned to the island and brought a number of pigs, which they presented to us without asking anything in return.”

“They had now become more trusting, and even ventured to come aboard the ships: we learned that the name of the island was Nihau, and that there was fresh water close by.”

“Captain Cook now ordered out three boats to search for this fresh water, and while preparations were in progress one of the natives stole a kitchen knife from the kitchen of the ‘Resolution,’ sprang overboard, and hurried ashore in his canoe. We followed him in the boats which had just been lowered, but, as he ventured into the raging surf, we were unable to catch him.”

“We fired a few shots after him, but fortunately did not hit him, and his fellow-countrymen hurrying the thief with his booty away to a place of safety, we did not obtain our stolen property.”

“By Captain Cook’s orders, the three boats, under the command of Lieutenant Williamson, an Irishman, then went ashore to look for water, and a suitable landing-place was found.”

“While we were still a short distance from the shore the inhabitants gathered there to the number of about fifty, ran into the sea, lifted up Lieutenant Williamson’s boat, together with its whole crew, and were about to carry it ashore on their backs.”

“The men in the boats could not at first understand whether this was an act of friendship or of enmity, and they struck at the fingers of the islanders with the oars; but as the islanders refused to desist from their doubtful attentions, and one of them attempted to snatch Lieutenant Williamson’s gun out of his hand, the Lieutenant shot the man down on the spot.”

“The rest of the natives at once dropped the boat into the water, picked up the wounded man, and with great lamentations carried him away into the bush.”

“We now returned to the ship and informed Captain Cook of what had occurred. The captain reprimanded Lieutenant Williamson severely for his action, and the following day went himself with the same three boats and to the same spot on the shore.”

“A much larger crowd of inhabitants was now gathered here than on the day before. Captain Cook gave orders that no one was to leave the boats, and he gave his gun to a sailor and went ashore alone, armed only with a hunting-knife.”

“As soon as he set foot on shore all the people fell on their faces: Cook looked round him and laughed heartily; then he lifted up some of the eldest, and those who appeared from their clothing to be the aristocrats of the land, embraced them, and gave them presents.”

“The rest of the people remained on their faces, but four of them went away and brought the king, each of them holding a handful of sugar-cane over his head as a parasol.”

“The king approached quite close to Captain Cook and bowed low before him. Cook gave him a necklace of glass beads, himself hanging it round his neck; he also presented him with a mirror.”

“Only when Captain Cook had gone farther inland to look for water did the kneeling people rise to their feet. While he was absent the inhabitants brought us quantities of pigs and fruit, which they presented to us, and with which our boats were soon full.”

“On the return of Captain Cook we went back to the ships and brought them close to the place where he had located a small fresh-water stream, and, the anchor being dropped, preparations were made for laying in a supply of water.”

“Another party went ashore and traded with the natives, receiving provisions, but particularly pigs, yams, coconuts, and plantains, which were plentiful on this island, in exchange for nails, mirrors, bead necklaces, and knives.”

“The women here, besides being beautiful, were very obliging, outdoing in both these respects the women in any of the other islands in the South Seas.”

“Captain Cook had, however, forbidden us to have any dealings with them on pain of a heavy punishment; indeed, the whole crew had to submit to an examination, and any men who were found to be diseased were refused permission to go ashore.”

“Captain Cook was of opinion that there were other islands in this neighbourhood, but as the time had come for us to turn northwards, in pursuance of the main object of our voyage, we could not at this time visit those islands/nor occupy, ourselves with other discoveries, but postponed this until our return.”

“We did, however, touch at one small island which lay somewhat to the west, and about eight miles from Nihau, as the inhabitants gave us to understand that there were many yams there.”

“By barter with the islanders we obtained great quantities of these roots, which were the largest we had ever seen, most of them weighing from 15 lb. to 20 lb. Captain Cook called this island Yams Island. He presented the king with a pair of goats.”

“On 2nd February we continued without interruption our voyage towards the north-western coast of America, and began to approach our destination.” (Zimmermann)

In 1768, when Captain James Cook set sail on the Endeavour on the first of three voyages to the South Seas, the trip was mainly to record the transit of Venus in Tahiti in 1769. (Wall Street Journal)

However, on this voyage Cook carried with him secret orders from the British Admiralty to seek ‘a Continent or Land of great extent’ and to take possession of that country ‘in the Name of the King of Great Britain’. (State Library, New South Wales)

Cook’s second Pacific voyage (1772-1775) aboard Resolution and Adventure aimed to establish whether there was an inhabited southern continent, and make astronomical observations.

Cook’s third and final voyage (1776-1779) of discovery was an attempt to locate a North-West Passage, an ice-free sea route which linked the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. Cook commanded Resolution while Charles Clerke commanded Discovery. (State Library, New South Wales)

Cook had other foreigners on his ships in these voyages. On his third voyage, one, a German, was Heinrich Zimmermann.

Johann Heinrich Zimmermann was born on December 25, 1741 in Wiesloch, just south of Heidelberg in the Palatinate. (King)

“Johann Heinrich Zimmermann and Anna Maria von Beyerthal” are registering the birth of the child “Johann Heinrich”. The child’s sponsor (susciptor) is recorded as “Johann Heinrich Walthi von Maisbach”. The date of birth is written as: “1741 d. 25 te Xbris”. (Captain Cook Society)

Leaving home in 1770, Zimmermann had a variety of jobs around Europe. He had trained as a “Guertler,” the profession of a worker in precious and non-precious metals who made ornaments, jewelry, cutlery including swords, metal tools and implements.

He spent time working at this in Geneva, Lyons and Paris before he arrived in London in 1776 where, after a short period of working in a sugar refinery, he joined the Discovery as an able seaman on March 12 of that year for James Cook’s third voyage to the Pacific. He became the ship’s coxswain (steersman) in July 1776. (King)

As a sailor in the third voyage (1776 to 1779), Zimmermann kept a journal that later became the basis for his account Reise um die Welt, which was translated into English and later published as Account of the Third Voyage of Captain Cook.

Zimmermann’s descriptions of Hawaii sparked an interest in the Sandwich Islands, but he also offered some of the first descriptions of West Coast Indians. (BCBookworld)

Of that journal Zimmermann noted, “I have long been endeavouring to decide whether I should be doing a wrong in making public the observations made by me during our voyage.”

“Then it occurred to me that it was the duty of the crew to give up their papers: that Great Britain, having been at great expense in fitting out and keeping up this exploring expedition, alone had the right to publish the observations of her navigators …”

“… that we had been paid for our services, and that we were therefore bound to yield up to England any notes which we might have kept during our voyage.”

“To all these scruples I have a few remarks to make, and I wish to set forth the reasons which have nevertheless moved me to write down my personal observations.”

“Is it likely that this incomplete record, which comes from the pen of a simple sailor, will ever be compared with the properly accredited narratives to be published in England? And can it prejudice them in any way?”

“Is it not more likely that it is I who will have cause to fear that my book will be unsaleable, will be ignored and neglected, because the world is awaiting the more complete, the more correct narratives written by those who were able to see more than I? Therefore I alone will suffer.” (Zimmermann)

The fame generated by the book led to Zimmermann being appointed in August 1781 by the Prince Elector of Bavaria, Karl Theodor, to the position of “Churfürstlicher Leibschiffmeister” (Master of the Prince Elector’s Ships), where he was responsible for the fleet of hunting and excursion boats on Lake Starnberg. (King)

After returning from that voyage, Zimmermann and George Dixon were recruited for a voyage to the North West Coast of America and round the world on the Imperial and Royal Ship Cobenzell.

The voyage was to be undertaken for Emperor Joseph II by the Imperial Asiatic Society of Trieste, otherwise known as the Triestine Society, a company set up and run by William Bolts for the purpose of carrying out this voyage.

On July 24, 1782, Dixon wrote to Zimmermann from Vienna. “Dear Harry, Yours I Rec‘d, and am glad you have Resolution, like the Honest Sailor which I allways have taken you for, and are willing to be doing sum thing both for your self and the Country.”

“By this time I expect you will be in Trieste, and have seen Mr Walker… As you may be a little mistaking in Regard to the Voyage and its Nature, Mr Walker can give you sum Information and the Remainder, I shall Acquent you with, when I see you which I expect to be shortly. I am, Dear Harry, Yours &ca, Geo. Dixon.”

While the Emperor was initially enthusiastic, the venture eventually proved impossible to realize. The opposition of Bolts’s Belgian financial partners in the Imperial Asiatic Company of Trieste and Antwerp was a principal cause of its not going ahead.

The Emperor also refused to provide financing for it apart from the expenses of his naturalists: in the autumn of 1782 it was abandoned. (King)

Zimmermann had apparently used the time he had spent at Trieste to learn navigation and qualify as a ship’s officer. Likewise, in his account of Cook’s last voyage he had mentioned the willingness of the natives of the North West Coast to engage in trade, consisting mainly on their part of the furs of “beaver” (by which he meant sea otter), sable and seal.

He wrote in his journal: “My plan supposes fitting out two ships of 400 or 500 tons in Europe (with 18 months‘ provisions), which would cost around 8,000 louis d’or, declared ready for sea and to go out on the following System as though going on discovery, making their way around Cape Horn to the Marquesas Islands, there to take on water and refresh the crew.”

“From there they would make their way directly to Owhyee [Hawaii] where the second would stay and stock with provisions and water. From thence to the North West Coast to seek refit on that coast. …”

“In returning engage in trade, the article concerned being sea otter pelts, from my being convinced that it is not idle talk, collecting at least 2,000 in a space of 6 months, as in Kamchatka each would be worth from 30 roubles and the same items can be sent to Okhotsk and from thence to Kiachta on the Chinese border, which is 1,400 miles by land …”

“… from whence the Chinese can gain a good profit by transporting them to Peking which is 700 miles further, and from thence to Japan, which is now inclined to welcome those who go with goods of value to Japan.” (King) That plan was not implemented.

Zimmermann was asked in 1789 to plan a Russian expedition to the Pacific. Although he submitted plans, Russia was then engaged in wars with the Ottoman Empire and with Sweden, and the expedition didn’t happen. It’s not clear if Zimmermann made it back into the Pacific; he did, however, sail to India in the 1780s.

In 1791-1792 he again took a ship, the Edward, to India for Edouard de Walckiers. The advent of war with revolutionary France put an end to the trade with India from the Austrian Netherlands, and Zimmermann returned to Munich. He retired to Starnberg in 1804 and died there on May 3, 1805. (King)