The Cambridge History of the Native Peoples of the Americas Volume I, II, and III

Invaded Societies: The Caribbean (1492-1580) 899
that was the property of native elites, and many European items were
incorporated into native dress. For example, the following is a description
of the "wild majesty" of a caribe chieftain of Dominica. The extract
relates to George Clifford, Earl of Cumberland (1558-1603), who was one
of the most active English privateers, having organized twelve expeditions
to the Caribbean between 1587 and 1598, and spending a small fortune in
the process. The following account, written by Clifford's chaplain, Doctor
Layfield, is taken from an extensive description of this last voyage and
includes a surprisingly detailed description of the native Dominicans at
the end of the sixteenth century. The phrase "wilde majesty" occurs as a
marginal note made by Samuel Purchas to this account:
They came to a Towne of these poore Salvages; and a poore Towne it was of
some twenty cottages rather than Houses, and yet there was there a King, whom
they found in a wide hanging garment of rich crimson Taffetie, a Spanish Rapier
in his hand, and the modell of a Lyon in shining Brasse, hanging upon his
breast. There they saw their women as naked as wee had seene their men, and
alike attired even to the boring of their lippes and eares, yet in that nakednesse,
they perceived some sparkes of modestie, not willingly comming in the sight of
strange and apparelled men: and when they did come, busie to cover, what
should have bin better covered. The Queene they saw not, nor any of the Noble
wives, but of die vulgar many; and the Maidens it should seeme they would not
have so squeamish, for the King commanded his Daughters presence, with
whom our Gentlemen did dance after meate was taken away. It seemeth that
themselves are wearie of their nakednesse, for besides the Kings apparrell, they
are exceeding desirous to exchange any of their Commodities for an old Wastecoate,
or but a Cap, yea or but a paire of Gloves. 6
Given the centrality of defining native ethnicity and culture to the
European conquest and occupation of the Caribbean, it is unsurprising
that native habits of speech and the political significance given to the use
of various language forms by native groups reflected these processes. The
need to produce well-defined units of administration, the exigencies of
using native informants to supply information on the vast southern
continent, and the self-perception of the Europeans as mediators of
native conflicts and civilizers of their societies, all produced a deep
interest in issues of native linguistic competence and usages. In turn the
politically dangerous status of caribe, the construction of mythic charters
to underwrite the political products of ethnogenesis, and the pragmatic
business of a burgeoning trade with the polylingual European adventur-
6 Hulrae and Whitehead, Wild Majesty (Oxford, 1992), 60.
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