h was their wine. Thus did their headman
give them what they needed, with this agreement.

477. This tyranny of slaves was so extensive in this archipelago
that when our Spaniards conquered it, there were chiefs with so many
slaves--of their own nation and color, and not foreign--that there were
those who had one, two, and three hundred slaves; and most of these
were not slaves by birth, but for slight reasons, and even without
reasons. For since their best kind of property, after gold, consisted
in slaves, as their own conveniences were increased considerably by
their services, they expended care in nothing to a greater extent than
in increasing the number of their slaves; now by usury and interest,
in which they had no respect for their own parents and brothers and
sisters; now by petty wars and engagements among themselves, in which
the prisoners became slaves; now by the punishment for some slight
crime such as for not having observed the interdict on speaking during
the funeral obsequies, or if anyone passed by the chief's wife while
she was taking a bath, or if, while the chief was passing by the house
of any timava, some dust accidentally fell on him. Or they were made
slaves because of other reasons, as tyrannical, as trivial, such as
are natural for those who have not the light of the holy gospel.

478. After this [report of Father Plassencia] was promulgated,
the above abuse was so thoroughly removed that now there is not the
slightest amount of slavery among the Indians, in accordance with
apostolic briefs, which have been confirmed by various royal decrees
of our Catholic monarchs. Thus we are all soldiers of one and the same
divine Lord; all militia under the holy cross, which is our Catholic
standard; and citizens and sharers of the heavenly Jerusalem, which is
our kingdom. Thus do we live in these islands, Spaniards and Indians,
all vassals of one Catholic monarch in regard to human matters. This
point can be seen in extenso in the Politica Indiana of Solorzano in
book 2, chapter i. [354]

479. The laws or regulations by which these Indians governed themselves
were founded on the traditions and customs of their ancestors, which
were not barbaric in all things as were they. For they were directed
to venerate and obey their parents, and to treat their elders with the
due respect; and individuals to follow the dictate of the community
of the village; and to punish crimes, etc.

480. Their judges for this