pany, and caused the king to postpone Prince Rupert's departure to
the African coast. VanGogh reported the cry that was heard everywhere
in London, "Guinea is lost. What now is it possible to do with the
Dutch."[131] The Dutch ambassador, who did not cease to haunt the
king's chambers over Holmes' seizures, found Charles II irritable and
greatly displeased with affairs. When questioned as to whether he
would punish Holmes, the king declared that Holmes did not need to
fear punishment at home since the Dutch had evidently sent forces to
do it themselves.[132]

The news concerning DeRuyter's successful expedition to the African
coast, which arrived in England just before Christmas, 1664, showed,
as Pepys expressed it, that the English had been "beaten to dirt at
Guinea."[133] Indeed DeRuyter's conquest of the coast in the end was
as complete as that of Holmes.[134] With one exception DeRuyter
captured all the English factories and forts, including Kormentine,
which he delivered with their goods to the agents of the West India
Company. The English retained only Cape Corse, which, because of its
strong position and the loyalty of the natives, DeRuyter decided would
offer a successful resistance.[135]

Up to the time that DeRuyter departed for the African coast it is
conceivable that by mutual concessions the troublesome questions
existing between England and the United Provinces might have been
amicably settled. The Dutch, however, had decided that this could not
be done with honor and advantage to themselves, and therefore they
chose to answer the warlike actions of Holmes in kind. When the
English learned of DeRuyter's activities on the African coast the
growing animosity between the two countries was so greatly intensified
that war was inevitable. The members of the Royal Company who realized
the gravity of the situation begged the king to come to the company's
assistance.[136] The king, who considered the company to be of great
importance to the colonial trade, and who realized his own intimate
connection with its formation, declared on January 2, 1665, that he
was resolved "to assist, protect & preserve the said company in the
prosecution of their said trade,"[137] a declaration which was
tantamount to war.

The Anglo-Dutch war of 1665-7 was, therefore, as has long been known,
a war over trade privileges. Furthermore, in the popular mind, it was
the dispute over trading privileges on the West African coast which
"b