the
company's factors and goods on shore and on the several ships. Since
the English were unable to resist they surrendered the goods of the
Royal Company after which the vessels were permitted to depart. In
this way DeRuyter attempted to show plainly that he was not carrying
on hostilities against the English nation, but was only aiding the
West India Company to recover its property and goods, and to punish
the Royal Company for the actions of Sir Robert Holmes.

DeRuyter left a Dutch garrison at Cape Verde and started with his
plunder for Elmina. On the way he despoiled the English factory on the
Sierra Leone River. On December 25 he arrived on the Gold Coast and
made an attack on Tacorary where he was temporarily repulsed, but
later he succeeded in blowing up this English factory. He then
proceeded to unload at Elmina the effects which he had taken from the
English. While doing so he received orders from the States General,
dated October 21, 1664, commanding him to seize all English goods and
vessels, whether they belonged to the Royal Company or not. In
accordance with these instructions DeRuyter captured several English
vessels, but he considered his chief duty to be the taking of the
English fort at Kormentine. An agreement was made with the natives of
the neighboring region of Fetu, who acted in conjunction with the
Dutch ships and with the forces which DeRuyter landed. Although many
of the natives remained loyal to the English, Kormentine fell an easy
prey to the attacking party about the first of February, 1665. The
other English factories, with the exception of Cape Corse, were also
occupied without much difficulty. Although DeRuyter had received
special orders to reduce Cape Corse, he considered this impossible, on
account of the ease with which it could be defended and the loyalty of
the Negroes to the English cause in that territory. DeRuyter was
therefore compelled to depart from the Gold Coast on his voyage to
Barbadoes without having taken possession of Cape Corse[151].

On April 18, 1667, Lord Hollis and Sir William Coventry, who were
selected as the English envoys to treat for peace between England and
the United Provinces, were instructed to propose that each country
retain whatever places were in its possession on the 25th of the
previous December. On the other hand, the English were also directed
to induce the Dutch to give back Kormentine if possible[152]. How
vigorously the envoys urged the ret