incensed the Danish African Company. Since voluntary
satisfaction for these injuries could not be expected, Simon de
Petkum, the Danish resident in London, caused the arrest of a Dutch
West India ship, the "Graf Enno," which was one of the main offenders
in seizing Danish as well as English ships on the Guinea coast.[38]
The case was brought before the Admiralty Court, and judgment of
condemnation was rendered in favor of the Danes.[39]

At The Hague, Sir George Downing now had a great opportunity to vent
his remarkable store of epithets on the Dutch for their violent
actions against English vessels in Guinea. He complained to the States
General "that the people of this contry doe everywhere as oppertunity
offers sett upon, rob and spoyle" the English subjects; and that these
things were being done not only by the West India Company but even by
ships of war belonging to the Dutch government. Downing threatened
that the king would "give order for the seizing of a proportionable
number and value of ships and merchandises belonginge to this contrey
and distribute them amongst them accordinge ... to their respective
losses, and will take care that noe ships bee seized but such as
belong to those provinces, and to such townes in those provinces, to
which the ships belonged that did commit these violences and
robberies."[40] In this way Downing hoped to set the non-maritime
towns and provinces of the Netherlands against those which were
interested in commerce, and thus to secure a cessation of the
seizures. Upon one occasion in the time of Cromwell he had used this
method successfully. Downing declared too that, to obtain justice in
the United Provinces, it was necessary for the Dutch to realize that
his Majesty would have satisfaction for injuries done "if not by faire
means, by force."[41]

The Dutch ignored Downing's demands, even though on June 6, 1662, he
reminded them of their unjust actions on the Gold Coast.[42] In all
probability they were trusting to obviate all difficulties in the
commercial treaty then being negotiated at London. In August, a new
complaint was made to the States General[43] concerning the seizure of
the English ship, "Content," off the Cape Verde Islands.[44] Shortly
thereafter, the States General declared with respect to the English
ship, "Daniel," seized in 1661, that it was a gross misrepresentation
for the owner to maintain that the master and crew of the ship were
English. Furthermore, the