robability
of her getting off, because the flood tide would have driven us higher
up, especially if it had blown somewhat hard. The flood having run in
and a light breeze springing out of the S.E. and S.S.E., the anchor
was raised and in a short time we came outside, having been there
about six hours. The pilot was paid, and he left the ship; the women
whom he had taken in his boat were put on board and we bade him adieu,
and set our course.

Before we proceed further we will say a word concerning the island of
Texel, where we were about eight days, although the island is well
known. It is said to be twenty-eight miles[57] in circumference, and
is nearly oval in form. The shore, inside along the Texelsdiep, is
dyked; on the outside, along the North Sea, it is beset with dunes.
There are six villages, namely Oosterend, Seelt, the Hoogh, the Burgh,
which is the principal one, and has privileges like a city, such as
that of inflicting capital punishment and others; the Oude Schilt,
which is mostly resorted to by ships, the Hoorn, and also the West
End, which has now fallen into decay. We saw four of them but not the
Hoogh which lay out of the way, and the West End which had fallen
into decay. Inland the country is rough, and some of it high, so that
there are few ditches, except in the low lands for the most part on
the side of Texelsdiep. Otherwise they protect their land with small
dykes of earth. The soil is sandy, which affords very good water in
the high places. The meadow lands are somewhat dry, but yield a fine
grass. The inhabitants gain their livelihood, for the most part, by
raising sheep and making Texel cheese. The sheep are smaller, but
fatter and more hardy than they are in Friesland. They seldom bring
forth two young at a birth, and when they do, one usually is killed in
order that the other may be better nourished. The inhabitants have
cows for their own use. The dyke is not high or thick, but is lined
with _wier_, a kind of sea grass, which they put together and lay
against the dyke somewhat higher than the earth work. Piles are driven
outside to hold this wier against it, and prevent the sea from washing
it away. This dyke is repaired every year by contract. Many fishermen
and pilots live along it, both qualifications generally being in the
same person, as well as the other pursuits pertaining to navigation.
There are about five hundred pilots in all living on the island of
Texel, as can be seen by the n