e his son or daughter adopted,
and thereupon the latter was adopted without any other subtlety
of law or of paternal power. It was done only to the end that the
adopted child, if he should outlive the one adopting him, should
inherit double the sum that had been given for his adoption. Thus,
if ten were given, he must inherit twenty. But if the adopted parent
outlived the adopted child, the adoption expired as well as the right
of inheritance, which was not given to the heirs of the adopted one,
either in whole or in part. But if, on the contrary, the parent died
while his own child was living, he left him by way of addition to the
sum for adoption doubled, some jewel or slave woman, as a reward for
his good services. But, on the other hand, if the child was ungrateful
and acted badly, the adoptive parent gave him up, by restoring the
sum that had been given for his adoption.

Adultery was not punished corporally, but by a pecuniary
fine. Therefore the adulterer, by paying to the aggrieved party
the sum of gold agreed upon between them, or given by the sentence
and judgment of the old men, was pardoned for the injury that he
had committed; and the aggrieved party was satisfied, and his honor
was not besmirched. Also he continued to live with his wife without
anything more being said on the subject. But those children had by
a married woman did not succeed to the nobility of the parents or
to their privileges; but were always reckoned plebeians, whom those
people call timauas. Likewise those children had by a slave woman,
although they were free, as was the mother, were always regarded as
of low birth. These who succeeded to the nobility were the legitimate
children. In the barangay, when the father was lord of it his eldest
son inherited that office; but, if he died, then he who came next in
order. If there were no male children, then the daughters succeeded
in the same order; and for want of either males or females, the
succession went to the nearest relative of the last possessor. Thus
no will was necessary for all those successions; for wills were never
in vogue among these nations in the form and solemnity of such. As
for legacies it was sufficient to leave them openly, in writing or
entrusted by word of mouth, in the presence of known persons.

125. A great part of the wealth of these Indians consisted in
slaves. For, after gold, no property was held in greater esteem,
because of the many comforts that were enjoy