The Value of Life and Money

Douglas: The political system offered no direct means for one man or clan to use physical coercion. In such a case, rather than abandon his claim to a pawn woman, he would be ready to take the equivlent in wealth if he could get it. Once he held the money, his claim was over, and the village, which had now bought it, would proceed to organize a raid to seize the woman in dispute. Significantly, the amount paid a hundred cloths or an equivalent amount of camwood, was also the price of a slave. There seem never to have been very many of them. Douglas only managed to locate two descendants of slaves in the 19 fift