The barrel is good and strong

It is not a suicidal idea with me. I entertain the utmost confidence that I shall succeed in going over the Falls without any harm resulting to me. The barrel is good and strong and the inside will be cushioned so that the rolling movement will do me no harm. Besides, I shall have straps to hold fast to. There will be a weight in one end of the barrel so that air can be admitted through a valve in the upper end where my head will be located.
Of course it will be necessary to place the barrel in the river more than a mile above the Falls. It will naturally do considerable rolling on the way down and I expect to tell pretty close to when the great descent will take place. The value which will be kept open while going down the sream will then be closed.
It is estimated that I will be able to live nearly an hour in the barrel after it has been made air tight, and if things turn our as I expect they will, the barrel will have come to the surface and right long before that time. Then the value can be reopened to let in more air. There will be straps fastened to the outside so that rescuers will have no trouble in towing it to a place of safety until I can be released.