 Jewitt uses the word "slave" to describe his position and asserts that Maquinna had about 50 others, consisting of half his household.Thompson (the sailmaker) and Jewitt were taunted, out of Maquinna's hearing, as "white slaves", with explosive results, including a death.Slaves were the Nootkas' most valuable property (p. 88), and might be killed if they tried to run away.