Palmyra Exposed

Contents —

1. The Nude Law

2. Nude Law FAQ

3. A Brief History

SUMMARY OFFENCES (FEMALE NUDITY) ACT

LONG TITLE

An Act to regulate public female nudity and to define particular offences relating thereto that may be dealt with in a summary way.

SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the Summary Offences (Female Nudity) Act.

COMMENCEMENT

This Act shall commence on a day to be fixed by the Governor by notice in the Palmira Government Gazette.

APPLICATION

This Act shall apply within the territorial jurisdiction of Palmira and shall be binding on all persons residing therein.

INTERPRETATION

For the purposes of this Act —

"Adult" shall mean a person who has attained the age of eighteen years.

"In public" shall mean any place which is open or accessible to or used by the general public, or any place so near a public place that a person may be seen from the place, notwithstanding that it may be private property, and shall include

(a) any building or enclosed space, other than a private dwelling inaccessible to the public,

(b) an outdoor workplace, marketplace, business premises, hotel, eatery, other commercial establishment,

(c) a cultural venue, place of performance, auditorium, meeting place,

(d) a thoroughfare, bridge, wharf, jetty, pontoon,

(e) a beach, park, garden, forest reserve, any other place of public recreation or resort,

(f) vacant land,

(g) a boat,

(h) a bus, taxi, other vehicle used by the public, and land associated therewith,

(i) any other public place within the meaning of the words "public place" used in common English;

but shall not include a place of worship, a hospital, other medical or mental health treatment facility or institution.

"Clothing" shall mean a covering of any kind designed and intended to be worn on a person's body, including lingerie and swimwear, but for the purposes of this Act shall not include

(a) footwear that does not extend above the knee,

(b) gloves that do not extend above the elbow,

(c) garters, armbands, bracelets and anklets,

(d) a hat or cap which sits only upon the head,

(e) a headscarf, headband or veil,

(f) a necklace, collar or choker,

(g) a bandage, other medical dressing or cast,

(h) spectacles and jewellery, including piercings

(i) a bag, pack or bundle carried on the back above the base of the spine.

"The police" shall mean an officer or agency of the Police Service of Palmira.

All other terms used herein shall be interpreted according to common English language usage.

A proceeding for an offence against this Act is, except where otherwise stated, a summary proceeding under the Justice Act.

Enacted by the Parliament of Palmira as follows —

1. FEMALE NUDITY

(a) It shall be an offence for an adult female to appear or allow herself to be seen in public wearing clothing or any article which may be construed to be clothing.

(b) It shall be an offence for an adult female to wilfully cover, conceal or hide any part of her torso with any article or object in public, or to wear her hair in such a manner as to do the same.

(c) The authority to administer this Act shall be vested in the Minister responsible for social policy (hereinafter "the Minister").

(d) The Parliament and the Minister shall have the power to grant exemption from enforcement of this Act to any female and to any place.

2. EXCEPTIONS

(a) It shall not be an offence for a female to wear such coverings as may be necessary to provide reasonable protection against any hazard to health and safety, provided that said coverings are worn only at the time when and the place where the hazard exists, and that prior permission has been granted, upon application, by the police.

(b) In the event of an emergency, a female may wear such protective coverings are necessary to ensure her health and safety without obtaining prior permission.

(c) The police shall have the power to grant an exemption for special circumstances, which shall be subject to review by a magistrate within three days of the granting of the exemption.

(d) It shall be an offence to misrepresent circumstances applicable in subsections 2 (a), 2 (b) and 2(c).

3. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

(a) It shall be an offence for a person to incite, encourage or induce an adult female to wear clothing.

(b) It shall not be an offence to represent females wearing clothing in photography, film and other media, except where such representation may conflict with subsection 3 (a).

(c) It shall be an offence for a female to act or present herself in public, or to depict a female in any media for public viewing, in an indecent, lewd or obscene manner.

(d) It shall be an offence under the Crimes Act to depict a female against her will, and any female under the age of eighteen years, in any manner including any media, that is indecent, lewd or obscene.

4. ENFORCEMENT

(a) The police shall have the power to order an adult female to remove clothing and to detain her if she wilfully and unlawfully refuses to do so.

(b) It shall be an offence under the Crimes Act for any person to interfere with a police officer in the performance of his or her duties under subsection 4 (a).

(c) It shall be an offence under the Crimes Act for any person to forcibly remove clothing from a female or to use a threat of violence for the same purpose.

(d) An exception to subsection 4 (c) shall apply to an adult female's husband, who may use a reasonable amount of coercion as defined in the Crimes Act.

5. PENALTIES

(a) The penalty for an offence described in subsections 1 (a) and 1 (b) of this Act shall be a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars, in default thereof thirty days' imprisonment; but in lieu of which the court may order the offender to perform community service for not less than thirty hours nor more than one hundred hours.

(b) The penalty for an offence described in subsections 2 (d) and 3 (a) of this Act shall be a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, in default thereof a maximum of six months' imprisonment; but in lieu of which the court may order the offender to perform community service for not less than one hundred hours nor more than three hundred hours.

(c) The penalty for an offence described in subsection 3 (c) of this Act shall be a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars, in default thereof a maximum of one year's imprisonment.

(d) The penalty for an offence described in subsections 3 (d), 4 (b) and 4 (c) of this Act is established in the Crimes Act.

6. PROCEDURAL PROVISIONS

(a) The Parliament shall make regulations in relation to this Act for the effective application and enforcement of its provisions.

(b) The Parliament shall at its discretion designate a zone outside the boundaries of the City of Régate, of no less than two square kilometres, to be a precinct where female nudity shall not be enforced.

(c) The Governor and the Parliament shall have the power to suspend the enforcement of any or all provisions of this Act in the interests of maintaining or restoring public order or providing for the safety and welfare of the general public and of individual persons.

7. SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

(a) For the purposes of this Act, a transsexual male and a transgender female are defined to be male; whereas a transsexual female and a transgender male are deemed to be female and shall not be exempted from enforcement of this Act.

(b) For the purposes herein, "transsexual male" shall mean a person who was born female and has undergone sex reassignment through surgery, "transsexual female" shall mean a person who was born male and has undergone sex reassignment through surgery, a "transgender male" shall mean a person who is biologically female but whose gender identity is male, and a "transgender female" shall mean a person who was born male but whose gender identity is female.

(c) The Minister responsible for social policy shall have the power to grant an exemption from enforcement of this Act to any transgender male upon application by a registered medical or mental health professional.

(d) It shall be an offence for a transgendered person to disguise or misrepresent his or her sex in order to evade the provisions of this or any other Act of Parliament.

(e) The penalty for an offence described in subsection 7 (d) of this Act shall be a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars, in default thereof a maximum of six months' imprisonment; but in lieu of which the court may order the offender to perform community service for not less than one hundred hours nor more than three hundred hours.

NUDE LAW FAQ

Department of Social Policy and Women's Affairs

Q.Is nudity compulsory for all females?

A.Except in the special enclave (see below), nudity is compulsory for all adult females, resident and visitor.

Q.Can I wear anything at all?

A.Outdoors footwear and headgear are acceptable. A few other accessories are permitted, provided they do not cover any part of your torso, your legs above your knees or your arms above your elbows. Nothing else is allowed without special permission (see below).

Q.Is there male nudity?

A.No; male nudity is prohibited. The nude law celebrates the natural beauty of the female body.

Q.When do I take off my clothes?

A.When you arrive at your disembarkation point, the air or sea terminal, you're expected to remove all your clothing immediately. You may not leave the premises unless you are completely naked.

Q.What happens if I wear clothes?

A.If you refuse to remove your clothes, you will be reported to the police. If you still don't comply, you will be arrested and ordered to strip. If you continue to refuse, you will be held in custody at the police station or under house arrest at your hotel until you are deported. No one will forcibly remove your clothing.

Q.What if I'm shy?

A.Keep in mind that nature gave you this wonderful female body. Be proud of it, celebrate it, show it off and enjoy the attention.

Q.Am I in danger of being harassed or molested?

A.Palmira has a strictly enforced hands-off policy. It is a criminal offence to grope, fondle or in any other way harass or interfere with you. While it is not illegal to take photographs or videos of you, these cannot be published without your permission. If anyone takes advantage of your nudity, do not hesitate to make a complaint to the police.

Q.What if I am not very attractive?

A.Both men and women love to see us naked. Beautiful bodies may receive the most attention, but don't worry, you will get your share. If the locals don't seem too interested in you, that is because they're used to seeing naked women. Your fellow visitors will more than make up for that!

Q.Am I allowed to cover up in cold weather?

A.Our island is a tropical paradise. Don't worry about the cold. However, the law does not make allowance for unusually cool temperatures. You will cope. Anyway, goosebumps are sexy. Enjoy it!

Q.Are there any special exemptions?

A.Only if nudity poses a threat to your physical safety or wellbeing. Application for exemptions can be made in person at any office of the Palmira Tourist Bureau, at any government agency or at any police station. Keep in mind that exceptions, as in times of emergency, are very rare. However, the law does not apply to girls under eighteen years of age and is not enforced for women over sixty.

Q.What about pregnant women?

A.There is nothing more natural and beautiful than a pregnant woman. Why cover it up, as if it were a shameful thing?

Q. Where is nudity not enforced?

A. In the privacy of your house or hotel room, you may wear clothing, if you really want to. The nude law is not enforced in places of worship, hospitals and other medical clinics. The town of Grandin, on the west coast, is a special enclave with its own by-laws, where nudity is optional. Here most of Palmira's families have their homes.

Q.Can I apply for an exemption before my trip to Palmira?

A.No; you may only apply in person after arrival. However, you can make enquiries before you leave home by contacting the Palmira Tourist Bureau.

Q.Do I shave my pubic hair?

A.You are not required to remove your pubic hair. We have a tradition, which is not always followed, that single women do while married women don't. Unshaven legs and armpits are seen as very unattractive.

Q.What about feminine hygiene products?

A.All products must be worn internally (such as tampons). Nothing must cover the external parts of your genitalia (for example, pads). If you need to apply for an exemption, see above.

Q.Is there anything else I need to know?

A.Anything that covers or conceals any part of your body, intentionally or otherwise, is legally defined as clothing and is therefore prohibited. If you have long hair, it must not cover your breasts. You must not carry or hold any object in a way that hides your nudity. Bed linen, towels and blankets must be used only for their specified purpose and not as de facto clothing.

Q. Is the nude law just a tourist gimmick?

A. There's no doubt that the nude law helps promote tourism; but keep in mind that Palmira is a natural holiday destination and does not need gimmicks any more than the many other Caribbean island resorts. More to the point, however, the nude law has existed in some form for at least 250 years, long before the tourist industry had any impact on the economy.

Q. Isn't the nude law sexist?

A. What most troubles critics of the nude law is that it allegedly discriminates against one sex with no reciprocal obligation on the other. This is a specious argument. Palmirene women have not only achieved equality but are now entrenched in positions of power and influence. Yet equal rights do not mean equal treatment, nor equal obligation.

"Striving for equality does not mean aspiring to sameness. Here we value equity — ensuring justice and fairness, allowing every person the appropriate opportunities to lead a full, healthy life. To achieve equity, we as a society must understand and acknowledge our differences; but when we've achieved equity we can celebrate those differences. So equal rights do not mean exactly the same treatment or obligations under the laws. And in this respect, here in Palmira men and women are definitely not equal. The beauty of the female body is esteemed above all else. As women, it is our right and our privilege to honour what nature has given us, by never hiding it away." (The Honourable Jennifer Hibbert, Chief Minister of Palmira)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PALMIRA

The origin of the name "Palmira" (pal-MEER-a) is obscure. While it obviously refers to palm trees (most likely coconut palms), when and how it was first adopted remains a mystery. A recently discovered map shows the name already in use in the early 1600s, in the Spanish form, Palmeras. The name of the Palmirene capital and the bay it sits on — Régate and Regatta — appear to be derived from Latin or Spanish, recatare (fight, compete or recapture). Many other place names preserve the French heritage.

"Palmirene" (pal-MEER-een or PAL-mir-een — you choose) has a convoluted provenance. Originally the word was "Palmiran" or less often "Palmirian". In the early nineteenth century "Palmirene" came to be used for females, since "-ene" is the feminine of the suffix "-enos", which is of Greek derivation meaning origin or source. Why this form was adopted is unknown; but it seems to be connected to the philhellene fashion of that era. Somehow it then became the collective expression for men and women, and it thereupon evolved to be the standard word. Which is, I'm sure, more information than you wanted or needed to know.

In pre-Columbian times, Palmira was inhabited by a succession of peoples. Between 400 and 100 BCE, the island was occupied by stone age people from South America. They were followed by a second migration after CE (AD). These populations have left their legacy in coastal burial sites that have yielded pottery showing several different cultural styles. They introduced maize and cassava, and took part in an extensive cotton trading network. By 1000, the relatively peaceful Arawaks had settled, to be conquered in turn by the Caribs. These warlike people successfully resisted attempts at colonization by the Spanish and French until the mid-1600s. Decimated by war and disease, the Caribs have since then disappeared as a distinct ethnic group.

European settlement was slow and disorganized. In the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, however, Palmira was a haven for Caribbean pirates in the tradition of such notorious buccaneer strongholds as Petit Goave and Tortuga. Many of its most unpleasant residents hailed from Jamaica's iniquitous Port Royal, either fugitives who had decamped following the crackdown on piracy by the English authorities after 1687, or refugees from the town's destruction by earthquake five years later. The island offered a good anchorage and fresh water supplies, and was ideally situated for attacks on shipping and settlements throughout the region.

Colonial rivalries at the time proved a bonanza for privateers and shielded this "unwholesome lair of thieves, cutthroats and whores" from retaliation. Nevertheless, by the year 1700 Caribbean piracy appeared to be on the wane. As the volume of bullion shipped back to Europe from the New World declined, so did the number of treasure ships upon which to prey. The maritime powers, in particular England and France, were reducing their dependence on privateers like Henry Morgan and Captain Kidd, who were regarded as at best unreliable and too often downright treacherous. Naval squadrons based permanently in the West Indies now patrolled the sea lanes, and freebooting was increasingly viewed as a plague to be eradicated, rather than a pest to be tolerated and occasionally exploited.

However, the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 which brought an end to the War of the Spanish Succession unleashed upon the region thousands of unemployed seamen and soldiers, and many of these turned to piracy for their livelihood. This was to be a new golden age of buccaneering, when murderous rogues such as Blackbeard and Black Bart terrorized the seas. They became so emboldened as to attack towns and plantations on the shores of North America, in the Carolinas and as far north as Virginia. As well as material plunder, the pirates took hostages for ransom.

In 1715, a French-born adventurer, Christophe Peyrefitte, led a daring expedition from his base of operations on Palmira to pillage a number of major towns including Havana, and to raid the coasts of Florida and South Carolina. The boldness of his exploits made him, for a while, the most infamous of all the Caribbean swashbucklers, and the most hunted. In particular, the French government was stirred into action following assaults on its settlements in Hispaniola and on its Spanish allies in Cuba and Florida.

In 1720, Palmira was claimed by France and invaded. With their ships defeated and destroyed in a sea battle off Frigate Island, the pirate defenders withdrew to a fortified position overlooking the present day site of Régate. The French fleet bombarded their stronghold, and a mixed force of soldiers and turncoat pirates disembarked nearby. Lacking land-based artillery, the French commander invested the fort in a siege which dragged on for several weeks. All trees in the vicinity were chopped down to give the besiegers a clearer view of the enemy's defences, but this proved counterproductive, as it removed cover for a surprise attack. Eventually, in the finest tradition of pirate perfidy, the citadel was betrayed from within. In the final battle the attackers gave no quarter; but survivors who had abandoned the fort and fled into the hinterland were offered amnesty. They were permitted to remain on the island and quickly resumed their old ways, employed by the French as mercenaries in much the same manner that they and the English had once utilized the services of the privateers.
The resilient Peyrefitte had come through the fighting unscathed, and accommodated quickly to the new régime. He ruled his tropical fiefdom with an iron fist, imposing order, promoting an esprit de corps which held together the rambunctious mob, and avoiding friction with the French authorities. One of the means he employed to keep his men in line was to provide them with wives, kidnapping women from the colonies and off intercepted ships. Expecting a fate worse than death, these captive women were generally accorded decent treatment. Life on the island was at first arduous and unhealthy. Conditions were primitive, disease rife, food in short supply, medical facilities non-existent. But as conditions gradually improved the women adapted. Their children were assimilated into the buccaneer culture. Sons followed in the profession of their fathers, and even some daughters, such as Peyrefitte's beautiful and fearless daughter, Elisabeth. While few modern Palmirenes can authentically trace their heritage back so far, almost every native claims one of these hardy females as an ancestor.

Christophe Peyrefitte ruled unchallenged for another seven years until his assassination, in 1728, by one of his lieutenants Renegade English naval officer Jonathan Rogers now assumed command. Distrustful of the Englishman, Paris dispatched a force to put down the anticipated rebellion; but the pragmatic Rogers proved his loyalty to his French overlords and the garrison was soon withdrawn.

Thereafter, under his capable leadership, Palmira was further transformed. The ramshackle village of Régate was rebuilt as a fully functioning town, with proper streets and a decent drainage system, a hospital and a church. Roads were constructed connecting the capital with outlying settlements. The port was defended with formidable batteries of cannon placed strategically on the hills overlooking Regatta Bay. To populate the community, soldiers and sailors were recruited from all over the Americas, mostly deserters and convicted criminals. Prostitutes were brought in from other islands and from the slums of Paris. African slavegirls were imported from neighbouring West Indian colonies

The most significant of his reforms was to overhaul the economy. Ruthless but intelligent, Rogers understood that the days of unrestrained buccaneering were past. In Peyrefitte's time, raids on British and Dutch settlements had restored the Palmiran pirates' reputation as the most notorious and feared of all the Caribbean marauders, and threatened to upset the uneasy relations among the colonial powers. Rogers substituted legitimate trade for commerce raiding, and drove out men reluctant to abandon their old ways. The former outlaws put their navigation and ship-repair skills to good use. A small but thriving boat-building industry developed, although this largely died out as the island became denuded of trees.

Jonathan Rogers died in 1739, of natural causes. Over the next several decades, the French contested British control in the Caribbean region. However, unlike many other islands during this tumultuous period, Palmira did not suffer invasion and despoliation. In 1763, as part of the political settlement following the Seven Years' War, it was one of those West Indian islands ceded to Britain. Despite half-hearted French attempts at a recovery during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period, Palmira would remain in the possession of the British Crown until almost the present day.

The Palmirans, having renounced their allegiance to France, remained faithful to their new colonial masters. In return, the British government pursued a policy of non-interference in local matters. The British governor of the Windward Islands supervised the island's affairs during the whole of the colonial period, but he rarely intervened. As a result, and on account also — it must be conceded — of the largely white population, Palmira enjoyed considerably more autonomy than its Caribbean neighbours, the islanders electing their own parliament. The population of some 2000 pursued agriculture and livestock-raising, as well as seafaring. Smuggling became an unofficial but important source of income. In the twentieth century, tourism emerged as the major source of revenue, and its main attraction is a legacy of the swashbuckling era.

That legacy is, of course, female nudity, persisting in custom and enforced by law. The tradition remained intact at the height of the puritanical Victorian era and the more progressive Edwardian period. It survived the modernizing reforms and female emancipation of the twentieth century. Indeed, though it seems paradoxical to all but those familiar with local ways, the notorious nude law can be held responsible for the dramatic improvement in the status of women over the past three decades.

Yet its origins are obscure. According to local folklore, universal female nudity can be traced back 300 years, to the beginning of the eighteenth century, when a lecherous pirate chieftain, whose name has been lost to posterity, issued the original nude law. A somewhat more romantic version of events concerns Lady Claudia Beresford, a beautiful Anglo-Irish noblewoman abducted en route to Jamaica circa 1709. Ending up in Christophe Peyrefitte's harem, she spurned the fine silk dresses offered by her captor, vowing that she would wear no clothing at all until she was freed. She never was, and she never did.

Although the woman of legend appears to be a composite of several characters, Claudia Beresford certainly existed. (She's my great-great-etcetera-grandmother.) A high-spirited girl, she had been sent abroad by her parents to end her affair with a married man. Following her alleged abduction — which may in fact have been staged — she was ransomed, but disowned by her family when found to be pregnant. Sent off to a convent, she shortly thereafter fled to Kingston, becoming a prostitute and eventually Peyrefitte's concubine. Yet by 1720 Claudia had vanished. She may have died prior to the French occupation, or during the invasion. Whatever her fate, it has not been explained how or why her private vow to remain unclothed, assuming its historical veracity, should have created a lasting tradition.

A more plausible explanation for the nude law is that, during the Peyrefitte-Rogers era, Palmira's female population was sharply divided between slaves and free women.

Slavery, and in particular female servitude, was a mainstay of the island's economy long before the arrival of Europeans. Throughout the region, the Caribs had traded in slaves, mainly women captives taken from the peaceful Arawak tribes. These were put to work in the fields growing cassava, to produce bread in times when grain was scarce. However, the introduction of African slaves and the European occupation ended the Caribs' dominance. In a short time, they were driven to near-extinction.

The African slave trade on Palmira was promoted by Jonathan Rogers, who saw the profits to be made from this lucrative enterprise as a way of diverting his men from piracy; but it quickly petered out. The buccaneers had always been an egalitarian lot. When taking over a slave ship, it was common practice to liberate the human cargo, who joined the crew. Indeed, many of the pirates were themselves runaway slaves, and any man of whatever race who knew the ropes — was proficient in sailing skills - was held in far higher esteem than any landsman who did not. This spirit of brotherhood survived the passing of the pirate age.

There had only ever been a few male slaves on Palmira. Since the islanders had always looked to the sea for their livelihood, the plantation system with its reliance on slave labour never developed. What agriculture was possible, given the scarcity of fresh water, was based on small land holdings. Thus, then the British Empire abolished the abominable institution in 1834, emancipation proceeded smoothly. This was in contrast to the upheavals in neighbouring colonies, where indentured labour replaced slavery, merely substituting one form of servitude for another. On Palmira, the handful of freed slaves were absorbed into the free population with little friction; and racial intermixing since that time has been so thorough that no native Palmirene today can claim to be entirely black or white, nor would want to do so.

It was different for females. A rudimentary caste system developed in which abducted women and their descendants were elevated above the prostitutes and paupers who had taken up the harsh life of Palmira and, at the bottom of the scale, those purchased on the slave markets. To distinguish them, it was decreed that the latter should be naked. But the children of slaves gained their freedom, and slavery had just about died out on Palmira by 1834. In the meantime, however, nudity had become the universal mark of womanhood.

So what has become today an expression of liberation may have begun as a symbol of oppression, applied first to the lowest rungs of society and gradually extended to all women. Nevertheless, females were sometimes accepted as equals in this macho society. While colourful scoundrels such as Christophe Peyrefitte and Jonathan Rogers dominate the official history, the most infamous and feared of all the Palmirene pirates was a member of the fairer — if not gentler — sex. Charlotte Rosse was born in Port Royal around 1675, the daughter of a shipwright who, like so many of his compatriots, turned to piracy to supplement his income. They joined the exodus following the great earthquake, and by the age of twenty the girl was serving aboard the sloop Diamond, under the command of one Edwin Yancey, an English pirate of some repute. Foul-tempered and bloodthirsty, Yancey was also cowardly and treacherous.

According to another of the legends of which Palmirenes are so fond, Charlotte had been taken on disguised as a cabin boy. Inevitably, her sex was uncovered, literally. While being raped she somehow got the upper hand, wounding one man with his own dagger and firing off a shot which whistled past the captain's ear. Impressed by the woman's courage and determination, the men desisted. She was consigned to below decks as a scullery maid. Occasionally she would be forced to fight to defend her honour, but eventually she won the right to join the men in their freebooting activities, although not permitted a share of the loot.

On 13 July, 1700, the Diamond chased down a French merchantman off the north-eastern coast of Hispaniola. At the last moment, Yancey apparently lost his nerve and veered away. He informed his aggrieved crew that he had sensed a trap, whereas in fact the spineless, superstitious commander had probably been spooked by a bad omen. There were grumblings and murmurings, but no one dared to question his judgement; until, that is, one crewmember stepped forward. A lone female in the harsh world of men, Charlotte had learnt to take care of herself. Proficient with the pistol and the cutlass, she was brave to the point of foolhardiness. Now, off the coast of Hispaniola, she defied her captain. When he ordered that she be cast into irons, she challenged him to a duel; but her skill with the sword was no match for his. As the entire crew looked on, Yancey methodically stripped her with his blade, cutting away parts of her clothing until she stood stark naked. As he moved in to claim his prize, however, she lunged with her sword and ran him through. Dumbfounded, he froze for a few seconds, staring at the young woman in surprise before collapsing lifeless onto the deck. The crew were awed, if not yet ready to accept a mere female as their new leader. But Charlotte reminded them of the matter of the French merchantman and swore that she would never pass up such opportunities for easy plunder. In the reckless, egalitarian culture of the pirates, this belligerent spirit counted for more than age, class, race or sex. The crew elected Charlotte Rosse to be their leader, and a legend was born.

Over the next few years, the crew of the Diamond and its successor, a captured French man-of-war the Duc de Bretagne, under their distaff commander attacked virtually anything which sailed upon the seas. Such was her fearsome reputation that crews were known to abandon their vessels at the sight of Charlotte's banner. This was still the age of privateering and she hired herself and her crew to the Spanish, to harass English shipping off the coast of New Spain. Nevertheless, when she commenced attacking vessels belonging to the Spaniards' French allies, she was declared an outlaw and returned to outright piracy. Proclaiming allegiance to no nation, acknowledging no sovereign, respecting no flag, Charlotte Rosse embarked upon a rampage virtually unparalleled in boldness, even in the fierce annals of New World piracy. She was eventually hunted down and hanged; but that's another story.

Charlotte's story has relevance to the nude law. In support of the slave hypothesis, there are no reports from the French occupiers in 1720 of nude women, something which would surely have been noted. A few naked slaves would have been overlooked, but not free and especially not white women. On the other hand, there is evidence predating the French intervention which does appear to confirm that some sort of law was already in place. For instance, Charlotte Rosse maintained her base on Palmira. That this formidable female should bare her body for the entertainment of her shipmates and the men ashore seems highly unlikely, and yet there are several accounts (admittedly second- and third-hand) of her swaggering naked through the camp, dispatching any man who dared to take advantage of her state.

Irrespective of its origins, by the mid-eighteenth century female nudity had become universal on the island. Nevertheless, while the descriptions of occasional visitors and official records of the French and later British colonial authorities mention the naked women, even then there appears nowhere any reference to actual laws enforcing it. More likely, what happened was a gradual process. It may have been that the females went naked while their menfolk were at sea; although a rival conjecture is that they cast off their clothes to celebrate their men's homecoming. In any case, the custom appears to have become well-established by 1745. In that year, Elisabeth Peyrefitte took to the sea as captain of her own vessel, a merchantman. She commanded her all-male crew stark naked... or so it is said.

Whenever the nude law actually came into effect, neither the French nor British colonial authorities made any attempt to nullify it. Any social campaigners who might have complained were distracted by the island community's virtually unique racial harmony which was attributed by most observers to the nude law. As I've mentioned, there is a saying on Palmira — When all women are naked, all men know they are brothers.

Finally, it should be noted that the most radical interpretation of the nude law is that it was in fact a twentieth century phenomenon backdated by folk memory to the eighteenth. In this reconstruction, prior to 1906 female nudity was prevalent but was neither compulsory nor necessarily universal. Travellers may have encountered both naked and clothed women, but naturally tended to emphasize the former in their descriptions. A visitor in 1874 (Thomas Canavan, Letters from the Caribbean) mentioned commonplace nudity; and although he never stated that it was the general practice, in an intriguing passage he depicted the men's clothing as reminiscent of the old pirate regalia while never describing women's attire except for its absence. He also noted that Palmirene women were among the most beautiful in the world. Romanticizing the old pirate custom of kidnapping their brides, he speculated that selective breeding and natural evolution had produced this delightful phenomenon. This was fifteen years after the publication of Darwin's On the Origin of Species. The buccaneers of old would, it was surmised, have carried off only the most comely females.

What was less often mentioned in the records is that up until modern times, the tough, resilient females of Palmira enjoyed more rights than members of our sex elsewhere. Working the farms while their men were away, they exercised a considerable degree of independence; and though the island's parliament was a male-only institution, in the men's absence the women acted as decision-makers.

So there are several versions of the nude law's origins, and who's to say which is closest to the truth? For as Napoleon is supposed to have said, history is fable that we agree to believe.

What is historical fact is that only in 1906 was female nudity formally imposed by the Palmirene parliament. That was when the first such legislation was entered into the statute books, and the now famous justification was introduced — "To honour the natural beauty of the female body, women are forbidden to wear clothing." Also in the preamble is the telling phrase "in accordance with our customs" with no mention of any precedent in actual law. Perhaps not surprisingly, this was the very time when the merchant aristocracy which had dominated local political and economic affairs for generations had begun to concede power to a new breed of entrepreneur, the tourist operator. Thus the nude law, far from being an antique tradition, may be a relatively modern initiative, imposing by official decree a widespread but by no means universal practice.

Over the decades, the law was refined and clarified, the latest upgrade coming in 2009. Successive British administrators could have vetoed or repealed it, but none did so; and as a result, enforcement was rigorous and sometimes brutal. The punishment for a woman wearing any form of clothing or covering any part of her body was generally a public caning. Even the wives and daughters of colonial officials were not exempt. Those refusing to abide by local custom were (and mostly still are) obliged to remain within the confines of Grandin's administrative and diplomatic compound.

In 1935, the senior British official in the colony, Commissioner Richard Penrose, was a bachelor who took a native wife. Following their retirement to England, the lovely Mrs Penrose astonished and delighted staff and guests at their country manor house, clad only in what nature had provided.

By the 1950s, word of the "island of naked women" had filtered out to the world. A rising tide of tourists began to upset two centuries of tradition. To attract investors and improve the island's image, the government began to relax the nude law for visitors. Tensions mounted; and the first of the so-called stripping riots took place in 1958, when a mob of infuriated locals attacked a group of British holiday-makers at Bonaire, on the north-east coast. A number of women were disrobed and dunked in the ocean. This and subsequent such actions were peaceful and light-hearted, and the victims of the Bonaire incident took it in good humour. However, in 1960, an ugly incident at Bretache, north of Régate, almost erupted into violence. The government belatedly cracked down on vigilantism, but also decreed a more strict enforcement of the law.

Even today there are female visitors who are unfamiliar with local history and custom, and a number who for some reason believe they are exempt. Until the introduction of the latest version of the law in 2009, women falling foul of the rules could be disrobed after a formal warning. Nowadays, no one can be forcibly stripped, but penalties for non-compliance include deportation for foreigners and fines and community service for local women.

The controversy over enforcement of the law was at least partly responsible for a downturn in tourism in the mid-1960s. Nevertheless, the industry quickly recovered. Female nudity appealed to jetsetters and trendsetters pursuing new experiences, to couples looking to spice up their relationship and to honeymooners seeking an exotic start to their marriage. (As I've described, there is a growing market for wedding tourism.) In turn, the impact of tourism was at least partly responsible for the modernization of Palmirene society. With the advent of the twentieth century came improvements in women's rights, initially at a gradual pace but eventually dramatic.
By 1900 the island had long passed its heyday when Regatta Bay was a sea of sails and Palmirene crews manned a significant proportion of ships plying the Caribbean. Most men still earned their livelihood at sea, on fishing boats or freighters; and smuggling remained an unofficial but valuable source of income. However, tourism was overtaking all other industries in importance. More men stayed ashore and took up more sedentary occupations. The buccaneer culture disappeared forever. The last vestiges of the patriarchy were hen swept away by the winds of change. Until 1925, a bride market operated in Régate, at which young women were literally bought and sold. Its closure coincided with the abolition of one of the more iniquitous local traditions, so-called amercement surrogacy, whereby a female could be sentenced to penal servitude for crimes committed by her husband or father, brother or even son, or sold to pay off debts. (On the other hand, without these primitive institutions I would not exist. My great-grandmother was purchased by my great-grandfather in Paddy's Emporium; but they were happily married for fifty years.) Women were granted the right to initiate divorce proceedings, and inheritance laws were overhauled. (Two generations ago, Regina Hartley and Lydia Renette would have been denied a share in their families' fortunes.)

By the late 1960s, however, the reform process had begun to falter. Following a decline in shipping revenues, the government of Chief Minister George Barrett had initiated efforts to diversify the economy. Tourism was more heavily promoted, and female nudity was openly advertised as an attraction. Barrett's programme also included increased immigration, which had the effect of creating a large and powerful expatriate community, dominating business and the professions. There was, nevertheless, considerable disquiet over a perceived racial bias in how the policy was put into practice, appearing to favour educated whites from Britain and North America and discouraging black itinerant workers from neighbouring parts of the Caribbean. This fuelled resentment and provoked a backlash. Barrett lost office in 1970; but interminable squabbling within the ramshackle coalition government that replaced his brought him back to power within two years. Attempts by the British government to weaken the nude law was one of the main factors in the (mutually agreed) declaration of independence in 1974.

By now, chiefly in response to international developments, receipts from tourism had started to level off, and then began to slump. Barrett resigned the premiership in 1976. The father of modern Palmira left public life an embittered old man, but his legacy has been a healthy economy and a stable, peaceful society. His successor, Roger Haradine, liberalized immigration and extended voting rights to unmarried women. Married women had been enfranchised only in 1973. Even then, it was not until 1989 that females were able to serve on juries and stand for election to Parliament. One of the reasons why Palmira had lagged behind its neighbours in sexual equality was the concern that women might vote for abolition of the nude law. This fear was to prove unfounded.

Roger Haradine also addressed the problems in the tourist economy. The steady flow of visitors had become a veritable flood, threatening at times to overwhelm the island's infrastructure. He adopted a strategy of catering to the affluent, up-market end of the trade instead of relying on mass tourism. This was a course fraught with risks, but the industry has flourished and the island has continued to prosper. Although it has never achieved the status of Bermuda, Barbados or Jamaica and does not aspire to it, Palmira is fast becoming one of the premier tourist destinations in the West Indies.

Today this sector accounts for more than half the island's income and employs, directly or indirectly, most of the workforce. In recent years, however, successive administrations have sought to reverse the trend begun in the 1950s, to rediversify the economy and reduce the dependence on an industry that is vulnerable to fluctuating economic conditions worldwide, unstable fuel prices and unpredictable international politics. (Nowadays in Régate, there are as many banks and insurance offices as hotels and souvenir shops.) The current government offers incentives in the form of tax concessions and unlimited residence permits for foreign nationals with entrepreneurial, technical and professional skills.

The influx of tourists had put Palmira on the map, but not all the attention was welcome. In 1973, the adverse findings of a British parliamentary committee on the nude law hastened the proclamation of independence. In 1976 the new Chief Minister, Roger Haradine, argued that sexual discrimination was inappropriate in a modern state. A resolution was passed in the Legislative Assembly calling for a reassessment of "antique" laws. But then a remarkable thing happened. Women began making themselves heard. The campaign to save the nude law started as a murmur of protest which quickly grew to a crescendo. What women feared was that the end of compulsion was but the thin edge of a wedge. How long would it be before clothing became compulsory? Many had never worn a stitch in entire adult lives. Prominent expatriates were no more in favour of repeal. They had embraced nudity and had no desire to conceal their femininity. Some women felt that to wear clothes would be a sign of disrespect towards males. Others believed that to abandon the nude law would dishonour the many generations of women, their forebears, who had struggled, survived and thrived without clothing.

As one protester summed up her position: "We are finally starting to enjoy the same rights that men have enjoyed for centuries. This is the time to celebrate our differences, not to hide them. If we are ashamed of our naked bodies, then we are in a sense condemning our mothers, grandmothers and great-grandmothers who have borne their nudity with dignity and grace." Twelve years later, Elizabeth Reynolds would be the first woman elected to the Palmirene parliament.

Others were even more forthright. The island's nascent feminist movement, to the surprise of many outsiders, firmly opposed repeal. Nudity was not just an expression and symbol but an assertion of womanhood. A short-lived but influential publication, Being Female, was the most radical advocate for social and political reform while demanding more restrictive and wide-ranging nude laws. The editor, Andrea Devlin, was one of the first Palmyrenes to assert that transgenderism and transsexualism are fully compatible with feminism and could be accommodated by the nude law.

Not surprisingly, the men of Palmira joined their womenfolk in demonstrating their opposition to repeal. Unfortunately, some went further. Although only a handful of women challenged the law by wearing clothes, those who did were subjected to harassment. The pro-nudist camp, realizing that such attacks were counterproductive, called for calm. As a result, acknowledging the storm of protest which had remained mostly peaceful throughout, the parliament voted unanimously against repeal. The decision was greeted with public revelry.

Of course, the parliamentarians who decided were males. Women, who just five years before first won the right to vote, were still barred from running for election. It was largely an acknowledgement of the leadership role women had taken in the campaign, and a realization that they would not oppose the nude law, that they won greater rights, albeit delivered in small steps over the next decade.

Thereafter, the tourist boom of the 1980s ended whatever lingering doubts might have existed. Not only did the nude law not deter female visitors, they made up 55% of all arrivals in the period 1985-90. By the mid-1990s, this figure had risen to almost 60%. It now stands at nearly two-thirds (although this is partly a result of a selection effect, as single males and all-male groups are discouraged.) Since the late 1970s, abolition of the nude law has never been put on the agenda as a serious issue.

In 2004, a government-sponsored survey caused alarm when 31% of women polled said they favoured some unspecified degree of non-compulsion, and no less than 35% claimed that if the ban were to be removed they would on occasion wear clothes. However, far from being an incentive to reopen the debate, the result of the survey has had a galvanizing effect, consolidating the nude law in public opinion. Nobody today wants to see Palmira's singular heritage and lifestyle undermined by tampering with a centuries-old tradition.

Any fears in 2009 that the incoming, female-majority administration might dilute the nude law were quickly dispelled. Unlike her predecessors such as the autocratic Barrett and the abrasive Haradine, Chief Minister Jennifer Hibbert has tried to govern through consensus. Elected in 2009, she leads a female-majority parliament. With the Governor and Chief Justice also women, Palmira is the first independent state anywhere in the world to be directed by females in all three branches of government. And most citizens attribute this to the influence of the nude law.

Describing the opening of the 2009 Parliament, one foreign correspondent managed to be both precious and patronizing. "The legislators filed into the chamber, single-breasted suits alongside bare-breasted bodies. Naked bottoms squeaked on leather upholstery and bare bosoms peered across the speaker's table, as the newly appointed Chief Minister rose to address the assembly. Business as usual would be her government's guiding principle." What nonsense. I have not seen a double-breasted jacket in all my time on Palmira.

The new Chief Minister promised there would be no sudden or radical changes. As confirmation, three months later the parliament enacted legislation designed not to change the law but to address specific concerns. For instance, penalties and sanctions have been moderated. Special exemptions can be granted and are not as rare as many people believe. The most obvious are for health and safety reasons. There may be professional or personal circumstances where some form of clothing is required. The government of Palmira adheres to a policy of equal job opportunity. So a woman cannot be denied a job as, say, a firefighter because she is forbidden to wear protective clothing. The Health and Safety Standards Act was passed to address this issue. Otherwise, the authorities are uncompromising. This firm policy is therefore all the more notable given that the government and parliament are dominated by women.

The men of Palmira have traditionally been self-interested and complacent, but never stupid. They recognize that the continued imposition of the nude law depends on the cooperation and consent of the women subjected to it. On the other side, the opposition to its repeal in the 1970s was led by women who understood the roots of their empowerment. For nearly three centuries, the law was imposed on females to serve the pleasure of men. Today it is the women who revel in their nudity. It is a form of liberation of the self, and a source of power over the male, which is enhanced and not reduced by compulsion.

This island is no utopia; Palmirene society is far from perfect. However, whatever problems remain to be solved, the nude law has helped make the little community a model of sexual and social harmony of which they are very much and rightly proud.