Of the Orang Utan

The monkeys, apes and baboons are of many different sorts and shapes but the most remarkable are those they call oran-ootans, which in their language signifies men of the woods : These grow up to be six foot high, they walk upright, have longer arms than men, tolerable good faces ( handsomer I am sure than some Hottentots that i have seen ) large teeth, no tails nor hair, but on those parts where it grows on human bodies; they are very nimble footed and mighty strong; they throw great stones, sticks and billets at those persons that offend them. The Natives do really believe that these were formerly men, but metamorphosed into beasts for their blasphemy. They told me many strange stories of them , too tedious to be inserted here. I bought one out of curiosity, for six Spanish Dollars.

Daniel Beeckman, 1718

From: A voyage to and from the island of Borneo, in the East Indies: with a description of the said island: giving an account of the inhabitants, their manners, customs, religion, product, chief ports, and trade. Together with the reestablishmentof the English trade there, an. 1714, after our factory had been destroyed by the Banjareens some years before. Also a description of the islands of Canary, Cape Verd, Java, Madura; of the streights of Bally, the Cape of Good Hope, the Hottentots, the island of St. Helena, Ascension, and c. The whole very pleasant and very useful to such as shall have occasion to go into those parts.
Illustrated with several curious maps and cuts
by Daniel Beeckman
Printed for T. Warner at the Black Boy, and J. Batley at th Dove,
in Pater-Noster-Row
London
1718
Page 37
https://dlxs.library.cornell.edu