Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/539

 banished, and all the female inmates of his house became slaves. They were given by the government to high officials, but as a rule it was not long before such women were liberated. They were never sold from one house to another.

If a woman slave dies, her daughter takes her place and enters the ranks of slaves. She is called a " seed slave," as she follows the mother in the ordinary line of descent. Under every circumstance a slave dying, still unredeemed, has to give her daughter to be a slave in her place. It is very probable that when a slave dies leaving a young daughter, this young girl will go with the master's daughter as part of her wedding dowry.

There is a fourth way in which a woman may become a slave. She is poor, and finds it impossible to live. She wants a home of some kind, and so voluntarily offers herself as a slave without any compensation, except the food, clothes and shelter that will be given her. One would suppose that such a slave would be of a higher grade than the one that has sold herself, but the opposite is the case. The sold slave can redeem herself at any time by paying back the exact amount that she received, but a woman who becomes a voluntary slave cannot be liberated by any means.

As all slaves are women, it will be necessary to inquire how their marriages are arranged and what is the status of the husband. It is manifestly to the interest of the owner to have his slave marry, for if she 'dies without issue there will be no one to take her place. A bought slave is allowed to select her partner about as she pleases. She will probably marry some day-labourer or coolie in the vicinity. She has her little room on her master's compound, usually near the gate quarters; and her husband is allowed to occupy it with her free of rent. He owes nothing to the master of the house, and does no work for him excepting of his own accord. In the case of a slave who is not bought, the master may let her marry or not, as he wishes; but ordinarily he will consent. After she has worked several years her master not infrequently lets her go, and even sets her up in some little