UnderwearA Closer LookHenry Whipple was an excellent woodsman. He portaged his own canoe and carried his heavy supplies on his back. He slept and traveled in all weather conditions. In 1866, Henry Whipple took several Episcopal leaders to northern Minnesota so that they could see for themselves the poor conditions in which the Indians lived. They also wanted to see the results of mission work. While his camping skills served him well, crossing a bog was a little more difficult than he thought. Henry Whipple wrote: "As we approached Pokegama Falls, one of our Indians pointed to a tree a mile distant and said: ‘It is twenty miles by course of the river to that tree. If we were alone, we should cross that floating bog and avoid the long journey, but white men cannot do it.’ I boldly said: ‘White men can do as you do. We will cross the bog.’ They looked incredulous as we took off everything but our undersuits and rolled them into a bundle to carry between our shoulders. But alas! while the Indians got over safely, each one of our party made missteps and sank several times over waist-deep in the black ooze. When we at last reached Pokegama, we discarded our underwear and had the luxury of a lake bath.” From: Lights and Shadows of a Long Episcopate |
