415 ON CORAL REEFS AS A CAUSE OF FEVER, 
Natunas. 
The Orang Kay a of the Natunas, in the course of conver¬ 
sation, mentioned that Pulo A or was surpassed in unhealthi¬ 
ness by another island called Pulo Laut, one of the north 
Natunas. Round the land extensive fringing reefs are seen 
exposed at low water. Haji Ibrahim, Orang Kay a Muda 
of Rhio, states that here the rise and fall of tide is very 
great, the fide making and receding like a river. Both of 
these natives particularly instanced this island as much 
afflicted with remittent and intermittent fevers. 
Amongst the south Natunas coral reefs abound, and 
intermittent fever is the prevailing disease. Captain Con- 
galton of the H. E. I. C. Steamer Hooghly mentioned to me 
that his crew when in the Straits were healthy and free 
from fever, yet on a late occasion, on the loss of the ship 
General Wood , they were, while amongst the Na s unas and 
shortly after leaving them, nearly all attacked with fever 
and ague. 
Banka 
The island of Banka supplies the next subject for illus¬ 
tration, and the point of observation is the S. W point 
opposite to Palembang in Sumatra. This part of the island 
was taken possession of by the British in 1812, and was 
retained by them until they ceded the island to the Dutch. 
While there they occupied Fort Nugent, situated a short 
distance from the commercial town of Minto. The situa¬ 
tion of the Fort is thus described by Dr Horsfield “The 
situation of Fort Nugent, although selected with every pros¬ 
pect of healthfulness, was, on experience, proved to be the 
very reverse. It ivas dry and elevated , and to appearance 
beyond the reach of marshy exhalations , but the naked¬ 
ness and exposure of its site afforded no shelter fiom 
the violent gusts of wind, which were impregnated with 
the effluviae of distant marshes. The military removed here 
(on the formal cession of Banka to the Britisti Government) 
had no other accommodation, in the commencement, than 
their tents, and soon became sickly—a more salubrious and 
sheltered situation was selected with the advice of the best 
informed natives, a few miles to the east of Minto, the 
commercial capital of Banka. Here, at a small village 
called Rangam, a temporary Hospital was established which 
appeared to answer every expectation, and the invalids 
speedily recovered.” At the time Dr Horsfield wrote, and 
