CHAPTER VIII. 
THEIR SLEEPING FIXTURES. 
Nearly every African hut lias a rudely 
constructed bed-stead, only wide enough for 
one person to lie in, and is made in the 
following manner : Four poles placed on 
end constitute the posts, poles tied to them 
with bark make the rails, and other poles 
placed on them support the bedding. 
Branches of trees or grass, make thematress 
upon which are placed two country cloths, 
one for an under and the other for an upper 
covering, and this makes the best beds we 
saw among the real heathen. In this bed 
the man of the house sleeps, while his 
wives, children and slaves sleep on the 
ground, with only a grass mat, or country 
cloth, between them and mother earth . 
Some houses are furnished with front one 
to two hammocks in which some of the 
household sleep, s winging above ierra-firma. 
Ordinarily they have fire in their houses 
during the night, and those sleeping on the 
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