They had laws by which they condemned to death a man of low birth who insulted the daughter or wife of a chief; likewise witches, and others of the same class.

They condemned no one to slavery, unless he merited the death-penalty.  As for the witches, they killed them, and their children and accomplices became slaves of the chief, after he had made some recompense to the injured person.  All other offenses were punished by fines in gold, which, if not paid with promptness, exposed the culprit to serve, until the payment should be made, the person aggrieved, to whom the money was to be paid.  This was done in the following way:  Half the cultivated lands and all their produce belonged to the master.  The master provided the culprit with food and clothing, thus enslaving the culprit and his children until such time as he might amass enough money to pay the fine.  If the father should by chance pay his debt, the master then claimed that he had fed and clothed his children, and should be paid therefor.  In this way he kept possession of the children if the payment could not be met.  This last was usually the case, and they remained slaves.  If the culprit had some relative or friend who paid for him, he was obliged to render the latter half his service until he was paid—­not, however, service within the house as aliping sa guiguilir, but living independently, as aliping namamahay.  If the creditor were not served in this wise, the culprit had to pay the double of what was lent him.  In this way slaves were made by debt:  either sa guiguilir, if they served the master to whom the judgment applied; or aliping namamahay, if they served the person who lent them wherewith to pay.

In what concerns loans, there was formerly, and is today, an excess of usury, which is a great hindrance to baptism as well as to confession; for it turns out in the same way as I have showed in the case of the one under judgment, who gives half of his cultivated lands and profits until he pays the debt.  The debtor is condemned to a life of toil; and thus borrowers become slaves, and after the death of the father the children pay the debt.  Not doing so, double the amount must be paid.  This system should and can be reformed.

As for inheritances, the legitimate children of a father and mother inherited equally, except in the case where the father and mother showed a slight partiality by such gifts as two or three gold taels, or perhaps a jewel.

When the parents gave a dowry to any son, and, when, in order to marry him to a chief’s daughter, the dowry was greater than the sum given the other sons, the excess was not counted in the whole property to be divided.  But any other thing that should have been given to any son, though it might be for some necessity, was taken into consideration at the time of the partition of the property, unless the parents should declare that such a bestowal was made outside of the inheritance.  If one had had children