Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses - Watchtower Archive

Yearbook 71
are inhabited by humble, Bible-loving folks who are proud
to have a Bible study in their homes. One of the missionaries
reports that she conducts from 20 to 30 home Bible studies
a week and keeps a waiting list of others who want studies
when she can find time to conduct them.
Besides the missionaries there are six local pioneers. One
of these is a sister who has been in the pioneer work for
over twenty years. She has worked practically all of the
islands, reaching them in rickety sailboats and carrying her
supply of literature in a bag balanced on her head, the
customary way of carrying loads in the islands. One of the
pioneers has recently been working on the island of Exuma,
where he has put on some public meetings and has even
persuaded schoolteachers and others to help advertise the
public talks. In all, 47 pubUc meetings were held in the
Bahamas this year, to eompare with 10 the year previous.
The tourist trade furnishes the main means of livelihood
(or the people, and, since the season Is not long, they are
usually quite poor. Nevertheless, they wiII spend their last
penny for literatUl'e if they really want it. The islands are
picturesque and are kept so for the benefit of the tourists.
Pirate forts are still in existence, a reminder of the days
when Blackbeard preyed on shipping with the Bahamas
as his base. The coat of arms for the city of Nassau reads
in Latin, "Expel the Pirates and Restore Trade."
Magazine Day has become a special feature in the islands
and the placements of magazines are excellent. To place 30
magazines in the matter of two or three hours is not uncommon.
The people are inclined to offer excuses for not
taking a magazine, saying as they go home with their purchases
from the market, "I'm spent out." Placements of individual
magazines came up from 5,436 to 12,914, a fine
increase over the previous service year.
BERMUDA
Little Bermuda has suffered from the scourge of intolerance
and discrimination. Freedom of worship became an
empty phrase when Watchtower missionaries were ejected
by the Bureau of Immigration despite a petitioll signed by
hundreds of the residents of Bermuda.
During this past year a second attempt was made to
present this petition before the House of Assembly by a
freedom-loving member of that body. Sneers, Insinuations
and false charges were presented in abundance by haters of
truth but not one could come forth with evidence that Jehovah's
witnesses are subversive, whether in Bermuda or
any other part of the world. A valiant battle was put up by
the members of the House who really believe In liberty, and