Sentence:  The second example is found among the savages upon the African coast of Angola, where there is no real money known. The inhabitants there reckon by <WSD>"macoutes</WSD>"; and in some places this denomination is subdivided into decimals, called pieces. One <WSD>"macoute</WSD>" is equal to ten pieces. This is just a scale of equal parts for estimating the trucks they make. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An abstract measure of value, said to be used by various peoples of Africa.