Meanwhile, back in South Africa, pioneers Robert Nisbet and David Norman prepared to follow up that first venture. Robert Nisbet recalls how, on arriving from Scotland at the Cape Town branch office, he was shown 200 cartons of literature ready to be sent to East Africa. This was five times as much as the Smith brothers had taken!

Protecting themselves against malaria by sleeping under mosquito nets and by taking daily doses of quinine, they launched their campaign in Dar es Salaam, the capital of Tanganyika, on August 31, 1931. This was no easy assignment. Brother Nisbet relates: “The glare of the sun from the paved streets, the intense, humid heat, and the need to carry heavy loads of literature from call to call were just some of the difficulties we had to face. But we were young and strong and enjoyed it.”

Calling at shops, offices, and homes, these two pioneers placed nearly a thousand books and booklets within two weeks. Among these were many so-called Rainbow Sets consisting of 9 books of various striking colors and 11 booklets explaining the Bible. It did not take long for the Catholic Church to issue a notice forbidding all Catholics to have such literature in their homes.

From Dar es Salaam the two pioneers moved on to Zanzibar, an island about 25 miles [40 km] off the coast, once an important center of the slave trade. The old town of the same name, with its maze of narrow, twisting streets, was enveloped in a constant aroma of cloves, as Zanzibar was the leading exporter of that spice. The population, then about a quarter million, was composed mostly of Swahili-speaking Muslims. Since the literature was in English, most of it was placed with English-speaking Indians and Arabs.

After ten days in Zanzibar, the pioneers boarded a ship to Mombasa in Kenya en route to the Kenyan highlands. From Mombasa they traveled by train, preaching in the territory along the railway line all the way to Lake Victoria, which lies just south of the equator.

Next they proceeded by boat to Kampala, the capital of Uganda, where they distributed many books and obtained subscriptions for the Golden Age magazine (today known as Awake!). One man who saw his friend enthusiastically reading the Government book journeyed 50 miles [80 km] to find the brothers and obtained all the available books along with a subscription for The Golden Age.

Next, via Jinja and Kisumu on Lake Victoria, the two pioneers headed back for Mombasa. There they again placed much literature and gave two Bible talks, which many Goans attended. From there they sailed back to Cape Town, a journey of 3,000 miles [5,000 km]. In all, Brothers Nisbet and Norman placed over 5,000 books and booklets plus many subscriptions.

[Picture on page 76]

David Norman and Robert Nisbet at Durban, South Africa, in 1931, just before their departure by boat to Dar es Salaam