The author had previously made a similar solo voyage in a canoe, but for this trip he sought a heavier boat with more storage capacity that could be either sailed or rowed. He selected a Barnegat sneak-box, built in New Jersey mainly for duck hunters. Twelve feet long and four feet wide, it weighed about 200 lbs. See the illustration at page 14.

The voyage was begun at Pittsburgh, from where he drifted down the Ohio River to the Mississippi, then continued south to the Gulf of Mexico. This book seems similar in style to many modern travel books, combining a detailed description of his progress and discomforts, notes on the natural beauty of the river, accounts of incidents and places along the way, and some occasional local history.