From a travel report of dr.S.A.  Buddingh (1852-1857)… page 358: We arrived at the island of Bangka, which I mentioned before, situated at the north-eastern corner of Celebes. According to reports this hilly island is populated by Buginese people or people originating from the Buginese nation. These men are known because of their skill in fighting on sea and land. Their livelihood is found in fishing and finding turtles, coconuts and breadfruits and by selling rottang and lemons produced by the land.

In 1854 on this island there was an institution for leprosy patients, that had been founded in 1851. This Lazaretto was a spacious and airy building made of wood. The building was divided into many small rooms and one long and big room or saloon. It was situated a few feet from the ground and on both sides of the main building an annexe was constructed and alongside the whole building a gallery was found.

We met 22 patients, among whom some christians. The manager of the foundation told that pirates from Solok or Illano of Magindanao had visited the island a short time ago with their ‘penjaaps’  and had taken away a man and a woman who were  in the neighbourhood of the beach. They bound the man to the rowing bench and the woman they plunged into the sea as soon as they discovered the kind of their disease.