Henry William Harper was a New Zealand Anglican priest in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a vicar of Hokitika and Timaru. From 1875 to 1911, he was Archdeacon of Timaru. In his numerous and detailed letters, which now constitute this book, the author noted different aspects of a priest's life in New Zealand and other colonial countries. His letters give a lot of valid historical data suitable for research. Thus, he describes the issues of the church service organization, travels and nature of New Zealand and other lands, the looks and traditions of the Maori people, partly dissimilated in times of Harper. Being a collection of different data and topics people usually mix in their letters, the presented here book is an exciting insight into life in the period of New Zealand colonization as it was.
