Chapter II: Hunters and Fishers

§ 1. Why slaves are not of much use to hunters 190

List of positive and negative cases 190.—The large prevalence of
negative cases must be due to general causes 192.—Scarcity of food
192.—Hunting slaves can easily escape 194.—Living in small groups
194.—Hunting not fit to be performed by slaves because 1º hunters
are highly esteemed 195,—2º hunting requires the utmost application
197.—Hunters and industrial peoples 198.—Why hunters do not keep
slaves performing female labour 199.

§ 2. The slave-keeping tribes of the Pacific Coast of
North America 201

Fishing not nearly so unfavourable to the existence of slavery as
hunting 201.—Most of our positive cases are found on the North
Pacific Coast of North America 203.—Circumstances which may account
for the existence of slavery on the Pacific Coast. 1º Abundance of
food 203.—2º Fishing the chief source of subsistence. Variety of
food 204.—3º Fixed habitations, living in large groups, preserving
of food 205.—4º Trade and industry 207.—5º Property and wealth
210.—The growth of slavery accelerated by these tribes forming a
somewhat homogeneous group 214.—Work imposed on slaves. 1º They
strengthen their masters’ force in warfare 215.—2º They are
employed in hunting, fishing, and work connected with fishing
215.—3º They make canoes and build houses 217.—4º They perform
domestic labour 217.—Why female labour is so highly valued
218.—Women prepare the articles of commerce 218.—Women hold a high
position 219.—Dr. Grosse on the condition of women among “higher
hunters” 222.—Slavery among the Abipones 225.—Tehuelches
226.—Kamchadales 226.

§ 3. Experimentum crucis: Australia 227

We want to prove that the circumstances furthering slavery on the
Pacific Coast of N. America are wanting among the other hunters and
fishers 227.—We confine ourselves to the three great groups:
Australians, Indians of Central North America, and Eskimos
228.—Aboriginal life in Australia. 1º No abundance of food 228.—2º
Variety of food. Fishing not the chief source of subsistence
229.—3º No fixed habitations, small groups, little food preserved.
Improvidence of the Australians 229.—4º Trade and industry not
highly developed 231.—5º Property and wealth play no great part
232.—6º Condition of women bad 235.—7º Militarism does not prevail
to any great extent 236.—Conclusion 236.

§ 4. Experimentum crucis: Central North America 236

1º No great abundance of food 236.—2º They live chiefly by hunting
237.—3º No fixed habitations, rather small groups, food preserved
though not to such an extent as on the Pacific Coast 237.—4º Trade
and industry signify little 239.—5º Property and wealth are little
developed 240.—6º Condition of women better than in Australia, but
not so good as on the Pacific Coast 242.—7º War very frequent
245.—Conclusion 246.

§ 5. Experimentum crucis: Eskimos 246

1º No great abundance of food 246.—2º Fishing their chief source of
subsistence 247.—3º Fixed habitations, groups not very large, food
preserved though not in such great quantities as on the Pacific
Coast 247.—4º The trade exists almost exclusively in exchanging raw
products. Industry highly developed 248.—5º Property and wealth do
not signify much 250.—6º Condition of women not so good as on the
Pacific Coast 251.—7º Militarism does not prevail to any
considerable extent 252.—Only highly skilled labour wanted
253.—Labour dependent upon capital 254.

§ 6. Conclusion 255

Enumeration of the conclusions to which the foregoing paragraphs
have led us 255.—It seems convenient to systematically arrange them
256.—Principal factors: 1º Subsistence is or is not dependent on
capital, 2º Subsistence is either easy or difficult to acquire
256.—Secondary factors: 1º Condition of women 258.—2º Preserving of
food 259.—3º Trade and industry 259.—Militarism 259.—External
causes: 1º Fixed habitations, 2º Large groups, 3º Preserving of
food, 4º Existence of a homogeneous group of tribes
259.—Recapitulation 260.