he end of May,
1664, he suddenly returned to England[96]. The Dutch, therefore,
decided to send VanGogh to London, with the hope that he could obtain
more satisfactory results there than had ever been possible with
Downing at The Hague. VanGogh was instructed to seek for the
restitution of the West India Company's property; to remind the king
of the unfulfilled promises which he had made regarding Holmes and the
voyage of 1661;[97] and to seek for new commercial regulations which
would prevent future trouble on the African coast[98].

Very soon after his arrival in England VanGogh gained an audience with
the king who, in reply to his demands, answered that as yet his
knowledge of the Holmes' affair was very imperfect; that he had not
given Holmes orders to seize Cape Verde; and that in case he had
exceeded his instructions he would be punished upon his return,
according to the exigency of the case[99]. Such a reply sounded too
much like the king's former promise of August 14, 1661, to satisfy
DeWitt. He instructed VanGogh to insist that his Majesty make these
promises in writing[100]. VanGogh answered DeWitt that it was hopeless
to think of inducing the English to return Cape Verde, in view of the
preparations then in progress for carrying on trade to the west coast
of Africa. He declared that already they were boasting in London that
a contract was to be made with the Spanish for the delivery of 4,000
slaves per annum[101]. As early as the middle of June the Royal
Company had eight ships loading in London with goods worth 50,000
pounds destined for the Guinea coast[102].

In midsummer, 1664, Andries C. Vertholen and other Dutchmen, whom
Holmes had carried from Cape Verde to the Gold Coast, returned to
Holland, where they reported at length Holmes' actions at Cape Verde
and on the way to the Gold Coast[103]. These details did not tend to
DeWitt's peace of mind. Hence it is no wonder, upon Downing's return
to Holland, that the two men "fell very hard upon the busines of Cabo
Verde" in their very first conversation. As he had instructed VanGogh
to do, so DeWitt demanded of Downing that the English king make a
written promise that no more hostilities would be committed on the
Guinea Coast, or the Dutch would be in duty bound to assist their
company. Downing, who now felt the advantage which the success of
Holmes' expedition gave him, replied to DeWitt as follows: "I must
say," that the West India Company has "ever since