Note 195 — Chapter II · GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SLAVERY.

The Araucanians, according to D’Orbigny, kill their male enemies and enslave the women and children195. Molina says: “The prisoners of war, as is the custom of all semibarbarous nations, become tavaichi, i.e. slaves, until they are exchanged or ransomed”196. In his detailed description of Araucanian social life he makes no further mention of slaves, nor do the other authors197. So we may suppose that the prisoners are always exchanged or ransomed, and that slavery is unknown among them.