A First Year in Canterbury Settlement

"A First Year in Canterbury Settlement" by Samuel Butler is a collection of letters and journal entries that tell the story of a young man's move to New Zealand in the mid-1800s; the book is a personal record of his first year in the Canterbury Settlement. The reader gets to see the difficulties, observations, and exciting events that Butler faces as a newcomer. The book starts with Butler leaving from Gravesend and captures the mixed emotions and chaos of getting on a ship filled with people from different backgrounds all starting new lives. He shares the tough parts of the trip, like bad weather and the funny moments between travelers, as well as what life was like every day on the ship. Butler paints a picture of both the funny and hard parts of traveling by sea and gets the reader ready for his exploration of the new colony.