Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Texel

TEXEL, an island belonging to the province of North Holland, at the entrance to the Zuider Zee. It is separated from the mainland by a narrow strait, called the Marsdiep, contains about 35,000 acres of arable and pasture lands, and has a population of about 6,500 inhabitants, who keep some 35,000 sheep, famous both for their wool and their cheese. The Marsdiep channel or part of it is also often called the Texel; and here or hereabouts many important naval battles have been fought. Blake defeated Tromp and De Ruyter in 1653; Prince Rupert fought De Ruyter in 1673; Duncan blockaded the Texel (for a time with a single ship) in 1797; and a Dutch fleet of 12 ships of war and 13 Indiamen surrendered to Admiral Mitchell in 1794.