The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1856-07-04

Just here we are impressed with the opinion |
that the poet should have added, "Made himself
very snag-boat," or, "Like bona fde snag-
boat" or some other line expressive of the idea
which here unavoidably presents itself to the |
mind. # this view be correct, we must not |
therefore too hastily condemn the poe. for the |
omission, but remember Quandoque bonus DOR
mitat Homerus. Indeed, bearing in mind the |
judicious admonition of Pope,
"Let such teach others who themselves excel !,
| And censure freely who have written we'll,
we must not too rashly conclude that the sug-
gested emendation should be adopted
snow this wondrous strength of Kwasnd
In his crown alone was seated;
In his crown too was his weakness.
There alone could he be wounded" (p244)
In note concerning the soft place on the
pericranium of Megissogwon, we have consid-
cred how that peculiarly may have been occa-
stoned. The same observations are here appli.
cable to Kwasind; but if the theories there
evolved be erroneous, we incline to opine that
the ossification of one Of the fontanels was in
some way prevented. The moescence could
not have been in the sphenoidal or the mastoi-
dal fontanel nor the bregmatic fontanel, situate
where the posterior and superior angles of the
parietal bones unite with the os occipitis. Our
bard informs Us that it was ramolescence of
the crown, which accords only with the sincipi-
tai fontanel, situate at the junction of the
sagittal and coronal sutures. Kwasind seems
to have resembled Sampson not only in the pos
session of superhuman strength, but also in its
coronal locality though the latter does not appear
to have been invulnemble in every part When de-
plated by the treacherous Delilah his strength de-
parted, and he became as other mortals. Kwasind
was not only invulnerable. except in the crown but
" Even there the only weapon That could wound
him. that could slay him, Was the seed cone of the
pine tree, Was the blue cone of the fir tree" of
which missile the Little People, the Puk- -Wudiies,
having possessed themselves of his secret. threw
number from an impending bluff, inficting mortal
wound in the sncipital fontanel, while, wrapped in
luxuriant sopition he glided in his canoe upon the
pelucid tide of the meandering rivulet From this
assassination ofthe Indian Sampson by Indian Ll-
, putians, the contemplative reader may gather a
wholesome moral, which is too patent to demand a
more protracted comment
"There alone can he be wounded" (p. 12I)
The woodpecker very opportunely counses
) Hiawatha to aim his arrows at the only yulucr-
: able part Of Megissogwon, the tuft of hair upon
> his head. 1t would have been better to have Civ
= en- this Information earlier 10 the fight, before
Hiawatha was so nearly trounced; but, perhaps,
he delayedin order to enhance the appreciation OF
the service, and no doubt it was much more highly
t appreciated in consequence of the delay. The
erudite reader will remember that rhetis, holding
, her infant son, Achilles, by the heels ducked him
f in the river Styx, whereby his whole body was
J, rendered nvulnerabe except the heels, which she
: did not immerse. Ajax lebanon, in his infancy
:. was wrapped in the skin of the Nemaan lion, and
]. became invulnerabe except at one point which
ii the skin did not cover, supposed by some to have
i been on the breast, by others on TIE back of the
neck; but, usual in disputes of this character
both parties are in error for the vulnerable point
n was in front of the neck. We find many moderr
j. Ajax getting "stot in tie neck" every day, anG
d even taking delight therein. The weapon will
!, which these wounds are inflicted is denomnatet
# decanter. We suppose that the mother of Me
l. gissogwon dipped him into "the melancholy river
which lies in "the path Of dead men," and whicl
> was crossed by the ghost of Chbiabos; and tina
IS she held him by thescalpock instead of the heels
Or perhaps, in transporting him on her back afte
l. the aboriginal habitude, she wrapped him in
skin possessing the indurating properties Of tn
Nemaan ion-skin, leaving only an orifce at th
top for atmospheric inhalation. These supernat
ural causes seem the more probable, because Me
" gissogwon was great magician, and had kille
a. Nokomis' father, who was a respectable citize
N Of the moon. But possibly the phenomenon mus
ID be accounted for on physiological principles,
e. which case we refer it to the non-ossi6cationa
the sincipital fontanel. as 10 the note concernin
a similar popularity of the pericranium Of XIV;
sind quod Uide.
81 Certain it is, the great magician was vulnera
or BILE only at the root Of the scslp lock. No
= Achilles. vulnerable only in the heels, with sing
lar obtundity of intellect burthened hmself.wit
n ponderous armor, and with huge shield. whit
ut it cost him mach fatigue, and Homer much labt
do and spaceto describe; but which, of cours. afor
ed no protection to the heels, the only point nee
Of ling protection; and one Of them being. Wounds
!, Achilles died OF that wound, which, no doubt.
!, skfu application of vulneares, might have hea
.d led, unless. inflicted with avenenous arrow. M
!. gissogwon. too. with equal hebetude, covered "a
I. his vulnerable parts with magic shirt Of wan
h. pum." but let. the soft place 10 his head unpr
:. ltected By helmet ormayic wampum, which IS su