this as it may, according to Holmes' account, Captain Cubitt of the
Royal Company endeavored to induce Valckenburg to come to an amicable
adjustment of the troubles on the Gold Coast. Holmes expected that his
previous seizures would induce such a settlement, but Valckenburg
obstinately refused Holmes' demand to evacuate Cape Corse.[77] Since
he had failed to intimidate the Dutch, Holmes sailed to Cape Corse
where he visited the Danish fort of Fredericksburg. The Dutch fired at
him from Cape Corse, an act which Holmes regarded as the beginning of
war.[78] He called a council of officers and factors of the Royal
Company on May 7, 1664, where, after considering "theire (the Dutch)
unjust possessing of that very castle of Cape Coast indubitably ours,
... wee then resolved att that councell ... for the better securitye
of that trade, our interest in that countrye, and to regaine our
nacion's rights, to reduce that castle of Cape Coast wch accordingly
succeeded."[79] On pretexts of much the same character Holmes seized
the Dutch factories of Agga and Anamabo, together with several ships.
By this time the Dutch were stripped of all their settlements on the
African coast except the main fortress of Elmina. In finishing his
account of the expedition Holmes blandly remarked, "I hope I have nott
exceeded my instructions, they being to concerve our comerce."

Since it is not essential to follow Holmes across the Atlantic to New
Amsterdam one may return to the negotiations which were proceeding in
Europe subsequent to his departure from England. So closely had the
secret of Holmes' expedition to Africa been guarded that it is even
doubtful if Sir George Downing at The Hague was aware of it.[80] As
far as the purpose of the voyage was concerned nothing could have been
nearer the advice which he had been urging for months. Moreover,
Downing was not alone in his opinion that negotiation regarding
affairs in Africa would be fruitless. The Danish resident at The
Hague, Carisius, who was pressing the Danish claims for the possession
of Cape Corse, confessed to Downing that nothing could be obtained
from the Dutch unless it was "attended with some thing that was reall
& did bite."[81] Since this was the case Downing pointed out that the
Danish fort at Fredericksburg would probably fall into the hands of
the Dutch. To avoid this misfortune he advised the Royal Company to
induce the Danes to transfer Fredericksburg to it, granting them in
r