No fixed beginning can be assigned as the origin of these kinds of slavery among these natives, because all the slaves are natives of the islands, and not strangers.  It is thought that they were made in their wars and quarrels.  The most certain knowledge is that the most powerful made the others slaves, and seized them for slight cause or occasion, and many times for loans and usurious contracts which were current among them.  The interest, capital, and debt, increased so much with delay that the borrowers became slaves.  Consequently all these slaveries have violent and unjust beginnings; and most of the suits among the natives are over these, and they occupy the judges in the exterior court with them, and their confessors in that of conscience. [146]

These slaves comprise the greatest wealth and capital of the natives of these islands, for they are very useful to them and necessary for the cultivation of their property.  They are sold, traded, and exchanged among them, just as any other mercantile article, from one village to another, from one province to another, and likewise from one island to another.  Therefore, and to avoid so many suits as would occur if these slaveries were examined, and their origin and source ascertained, they are preserved and held as they were formerly.

The marriages of these natives, commonly and generally were, and are:  Chiefs with women chiefs; timaguas with those of that rank; and slaves with those of their own class.  But sometimes these classes intermarry with one another.  They considered one woman, whom they married, as the legitimate wife and the mistress of the house; and she was styled ynasaba. [147] Those whom they kept besides her they considered as friends.  The children of the first were regarded as legitimate and whole heirs of their parents; the children of the others were not so regarded, and were left something by assignment, but they did not inherit.

The dowry was furnished by the man, being given by his parents.  The wife furnished nothing for the marriage, until she had inherited it from her parents.  The solemnity of the marriage consisted in nothing more than the agreement between the parents and relatives of the contracting parties, the payment of the dowry agreed upon to the father of the bride, [148] and the assembling at the wife’s parents’ house of all the relatives to eat and drink until they would fall down.  At night the man took the woman to his house and into his power, and there she remained.  These marriages were annulled and dissolved for slight cause, with the examination and judgment of the relatives of both parties, and of the old men, who acted as mediators in the affairs.  At such a time the man took the dowry (which they call vigadicaya), [149] unless it happened that they separated through the husband’s fault; for then it was not returned to him, and the wife’s parents kept it.  The property that they had acquired together was divided into halves, and each one disposed of his own.  If one made any profits in which the other did not have a share or participate, he acquired it for himself alone.