curtains to each, thus forming two distinct halls, as occasion
may serve, or greater warmth be required: this is a convenient arrangement
where the establishment of servants, slaves, &c., is extensive.

The wadded curtains are called purdahs[2]; these are sometimes made of
woollen cloth, but more generally of coarse calico, of two colours, in
patchwork style, striped, vandyked, or in some other ingeniously contrived
and ornamented way, according to their individual taste.

Besides the purdahs, the openings between the pillars have blinds neatly
made of bamboo strips, wove together with coloured cords: these are called
jhillmuns or cheeks.[3] Many of them are painted green; others are more
gaudy both in colour and variety of patterns. These blinds constitute a
real comfort to every one in India, as they admit air when let down, and
at the same time shut out flies and other annoying insects; besides which
the extreme glare is shaded by them,--a desirable object to foreigners in
particular.

The floors of the halls are first matted with the coarse date-leaf matting
of the country, over which is spread shutteringhies[4] (thick cotton
carpets, peculiarly the manufacture of the Upper Provinces of India, wove
in stripes of blue and white, or shades of blue); a white calico carpet
covers the shutteringhie, on which the females take their seat.

The bedsteads of the family are placed, during the day, in lines at the
back of the halls, to be moved at pleasure to any chosen spot for the
night's repose; often into the open courtyard, for the benefit of the pure
air. They are all formed on one principle, differing only in size and
quality; they stand about half-a-yard from the floor, the legs round and
broad at bottom, narrowing as they rise towards the frame, which is laced
over with a thick cotton tape, made for the purpose, and platted in
checquers, and thus rendered soft, or rather elastic, and very pleasant to
recline upon. The legs of these bedsteads are in some instances gold,
silver gilt, or pure silver; others have enamel paintings on fine wood;
the inferior grades have them merely of wood painted plain and varnished;
the servants' bedsteads are of the common mango-wood without ornament, the
lacing of these for the sacking being of elastic string manufactured from
the fibre of the cocoa-nut.

Such are the bedsteads of every class of people. They seldom have
mattresses; a soojinee[5] (white quilt) is spread on the lacing,