MADURA or Madoera Island, in the Eastern Archipelago, forms part of Netherlands India. Its N.W. point is in lat. 6° 554' S., long. 112° E., and its E. point in lat. 59' S., long. 114° 111' E. It is the most important of a line of 75 islands which runs along the northern and eastern coasts of Java, and is separated from the great island by a strait not more than two miles wide, which serves to form the capacious harbour of Sourabaya, the strait widening at its eastern extremity to fifty miles. Its soil is poor com pared with that of Java, but its inhabitants are peaceful and industrious. Since the early part of the 18th century, the Madurese have been migrat ing to and settling on the opposite shores of Java, depopulated by long wars, and in some districts they form the bulk of the present population, so that the Madurese language is not confined to Madura. In 1880, its population, 810,135 in
number, comprised—Europeans, 509 ; Natives, 804,015; Chinese, 3932 ; Arabs, 1516 ; others, 163. The sultan resides at Bangkallan. Few mammals are found, and none peculiar to Madura. The island is famous, however, for its breed of cattle, and supplies from its rich pastures pro visions to many of the agricultural and seafaring communities of the neighbouring regions. The meat when cured resembles, but is far superior to, the jerked beef of South America. The people are similar to the hillnien of Java, and from them the Dutch recruit the line of their native army with the best troops in their service.— Raffles' History of Java ; Earl, Eastern Seas; Horsburgh; Temminck, Coup d'CEil sur les Posses sions Neerlandaises, i. p. 335; St. John's Indian i. p. 337.