D i a m o n d s .
B e e s - w a x .
B e z o a r .
C a m p h o r .
E d i b l e
N e s t s .
O u R A N G
OUTANife.
cover of bafe metal. The natives have a very juft notion o f the
lord o f the irritamenta malorum, for they fay, that the devil
is foie mafter of the gold and diamond mines.
D iamonds form another article o f commerce, but they are
far lefs valuable than thofe o f Golconda.
Be es-w a x , in cakes o f about thirty-four pounds, is common at
Sambas, which being the common money o f that part o f the
illand, was wont to be bartered with the Chinefe for various ne-
eeflaiies. Pearls o f confiderable beauty are faid to be another
article o f exchange in the fame country.
T he bezoar found in the monkies has a moft fuperftitious
value, and is fold for four or five times its weight in filver.
T h e unrefined camphor o f Borneo, is reckoned fuperior to
any in the world. We are not acquainted with the tree which
produces that valuable drug.
T he edible (fwallows) nefts are found in vaft abundance;
thefe, and the Bambu walking canes, form two other articles o f
trade.
In the lift o f quadrupeds is the Ourang Outang', there appears
to be two fpecies, one that never exceeds two feet and an
half in height; fee Mr. Vofmaer’s account, p, u , tab xiv. xv. and
Hiß. 3uad. i. p. 180. tab. '36. which I have taken the liberty o f
copying from M. Vofmaer. Mr. Beeckman fpeaks of fome fpecies
growing to the height of fix fe e t; he bought a yaung one,
which was ftronger than any man in his ihip, but it died before
it was a year old. Borneo has abundance o f thefe animals. It
fwarms alfo with variety o f baboons and monkies:, fo this-,
Celebes,
Celebes, and another ifland, may probably have been the infulie
Satyrorum o f Ptolemy.
T h e Ourang Outang is found alfo in Java; Hamilton* faw
one in that ifland which was four feet high, and mentions a
fmaller fpecies called Oumpaes. He confirms the account o f the
grave or melancholy habit o f the greater fpecies; o f its lighting a
fire, and blowing it with its mouth; and o f its broiling a fifli
to eat with its boiled rice, imitative of the cuftom of the human
race.
T h e aborigines o f Borneo are called Byajos; they inhabit the B v a j o s .
interior parts, live under chieftains, and are an independent
people, poffefiing their proper language and religion ; the laft is
called Paganifm, yet they pay no refpeft to idols ; but offer fa-
crifices of fweet fcented wood to one fupreme beneficent Deity,
who in other worlds rewards the juft and puniihes the wicked.
They marry only one wife, are ftri&ly faithful to their nuptial
vows, and have the charader o f general honefty. Mr. Beeckman
makes a different report, but fairly confeffes that he received it
from the Banjareens, who will not fuffer the Europeans to
have any intercourfe with the natives, and tell many frightful
tales o f their barbarity. The Byajos often come down the
river to the port o f Majfeen, in ill ihaped praws, with gold duft,
diamonds, rattans, bezoar, and other articles o f commerce, of
which the Banjareens are foie faaors, and confequently highly
interefted in keeping the pretended favages from our knowlege.
T h e Byajos are taller and ftronger than the other inhabitants;
they go naked, excepting a fmall wrapper about their loins;
• Account of the Eafl Indies, ii. p. 131.
V ol. IV. l they