Chirundu.com would like to wish Athanasios John Traicos a happy birthday. He was born today (17 May) in 1947 in Zagazig, Egypt.

A former Zimbabwean cricketer who played in Zimbabwe’s first test match and also represented South Africa at international level. He was primarily an off spin bowler, and is one of a small number of cricketers to have played at the highest level for more than one country.

Whilst Traicos was born in Egypt, he grew up in Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe) and played when Rhodesia was regarded as a “province” within the South African domestic cricket setup.

His father Tryphon Traicos was born in Lemnos (Greece) in 1900 and at the age of 12 he was sent to Egypt to work in his uncle’s business. A year after John was born the Traicos family migrated to Fort Victoria (now Masvingo) in Southern Rhodesia in September 1948. This obviously produced a major shift in their cultural influence and it was out with the tavli and in with the cricket.

Traicos started playing cricket, inspired by his cousin Peter and coached by Neil Jardine, a former rugby international and then at Natal University by the great South African all-rounder Trevor Goddard.

His progress as an off-spinner was rapid. He was selected for the South African Universities tour of England in 1967 and then made his first-class debut for Rhodesia against Transvaal B in Salisbury the following year.

South African Test Player
John Traicos made his Test match debut for the South African cricket team against Australia at Durban in February 1970.

There are many people who know a thing or two about cricket say that the South African side which destroyed Australia 4-0 in the 1969/1970 series was one of the finest of all-time. Great players included Barry Richards, Graeme Pollock, Eddie Barlow, Ali Bacher, Peter Pollock, Lee Irvine and Mike Procter.

Unfortunately for John, not long after his debut, South Africa were banned from international cricket because of the apartheid regime and this meant the end of his international career until 1980 when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwean Cricketer
Traicos continued to play for Zimbabwe after the country gained its independence, and appeared for them in the 1982, 1986 and 1990 ICC Trophy tournaments. He also represented Zimbabwe in the 1983 Cricket World Cup, and was an important part of the side which inflicted a shock defeat on Australia.

Zimbabwe were raised to Test status in 1992, and Traicos was selected for the country’s inaugural Test match which took place in Harare at the Harare Sports Club against India. So at the age of 45 years and 304 days, Traicos returned to Test cricket and he finished with great bowling figures of 5-86, his victims including Sachin Tendulkar, Mohammed Azharuddin and Kapil Dev.

The John Traicos File

• Born: 17 May 1947 in Zagazig, Egypt
• Tests: 7 in total,  3 for South Africa (1970) and 4 for Zimbabwe (1992-3)
• Bowling: 18 wickets (avge 42.72)
• Best: 5-86 v India, Harare 1993
• ODIs: 27 for Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Cricket Books

Amazon, have a bunch of Zim related cricket books, including “A History of the Rhodesia and Zimbabwe National Sides” by Jonty Winch who traces the history of cricket in this country (Zimbabwe) from the first recorded game played in 1890, through two World Wars and a guerilla war, to the comparative peace of post-independence and eventual world recognition in the 1980s when Zimbabwe was able to send a side to England to take part in the I.C.C. Trophy competition which it won.

There is also the Autobiography of another great Zimbabwean cricket coach Duncan Fletcher “Behind the Shades”

USA: Amazon.com

Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.com

At the moment Amazon UK don’t have as wide selection as the US site, but I have ordered books from the US and had them delivered to the UK with no problems.

UK: Amazon.co.uk
Zimbabwe Cricket on Amazon.co.uk

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The Siege of Mafeking is probably the best known British action during the Second Boer War. It took place at the town of Mafeking (now Mafikeng) in South Africa, over a period of 217 days, from October 1899 to May 1900. But did you know that some forces involved in the siege were based in the new country of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

The geography explains the situation as the Cape Colony and Natal were the main bases from which British troops could operate, but on the west of the two Boer Republics was Bechuanaland, and on the north, Matabeleland, in southern Rhodesia and it was of the greatest importance that these were well guarded.

Colonel Herbert Plumer
Colonel Baden-Powel put Colonel Herbert Plumer in command of one regiment to operate in Southern Rhodesia where he immediately set about raising and organizing the Rhodesian Regiment and there is little doubt that if he had not kept watch and ward at Tuli during the earlier stages of the Boer war, there might have been a dangerous incursion of the boers into Rhodesia. Even so, a Boer commando appeared on the banks of the Crocodile River and exchanged shots with Plumer’s patrols. Subsequently Plumer moved his camp to Gaberones which led to his coming in still closer touch with the Boers, and on several occasions he was sharply engaged.

It was towards the end of the siege in April 1900, when the Boers were on the defensive and in retreat, the British began a major effort to relieve Mafeking. Two columns would converge on the town: one would march northwards from the British lines on the Modder River, while a second would strike south from Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in conjunction with the Rhodesian Field Force commanded by Colonel Herbert Plumer of the 2nd Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment and later to become Field-Marshal Lord Plumer, Baron of Messines and Bilton.

The Rhodesian Field Force that was to march on Mafeking required reinforcements, particularly in artillery, before it could proceed. Luckily, “C” Battery, Royal Canadian Field Artillery, had recently arrived from Canada and was in the Cape Town area. Getting to Mafeking was no easy task. On 14 April, the battery, along with a squadron of Australian mounted rifles, boarded a ship bound for Beira in Portuguese East Africa (now Mozambique). This was followed by a five-hundred-kilometre journey by train westward to Marandellas (now Marondera) in Rhodesia and another five-hundred-kilometre trek to Bulawayo. From there, the gunners, augmented by mules and with Black South African drivers to draw the guns and ammunition wagons, set off again by rail, arriving at Ootsi, only 100 kilometres north of Mafeking, on 11 May. (The important contributions of these Black South African drivers has gone largely unnoticed for nearly a century.)

As we now know the British were victorious and the lifting of the Siege of Mafeking was a decisive victory for them and a crushing defeat for the Boers. The siege also turned the British Military Commander Colonel Baden-Powell, who went on to found the Scouting Movement, into a national hero.

Zimbabwean / Rhodesian Military History Books (before 1960):
	Sunshine and Storm in Rhodesia By Frederick Courteney Selous (Author) is a firsthand account of the Second Matabele War (also known as the First Chimurenga). An unabridged reprint of the the 1896 edition. Originalally published in 1896: Excerpt: CHAPTER III "Now this murder of a native policeman on the night of Friday, 20th March, was the first overt act of rebellion on the part of the Matabele against the Government of the British South Africa Company, and I will therefore relate exactly what occurred. On the evening of the aforementioned day, eight native policemen, acting on instructions of Mr. Jackson, arrived at the town of Umgorshlwini, situated in the hills near the Umzingwani river. Being accompanied by several boys carrying their blankets, etc., they formed quite a little party, and so camped outside the town. They were sitting talking over their fires after the evening meal, when a number of Matabele came up, and ranging themselves in a line in front of them, commenced to dance. These men all carried knob-kerries, and were led by a man named Umzobo, who had held a post of importance at Bulawayo in Lo Bengula’s time." Available on Amazon.co.uk Available on Amazon.com
	No Insignificant Part: The Rhodesia Native Regiment and the East African Campaign of the First World War The is the first history of the only primarily African military unit from Zimbabwe to fight in the First World War. Recruited from the migrant labour network, most African soldiers in the RNR were originally miners or farm workers from what are now Zimbabwe, Zambia, Mozambique, and Malawi. Like others across the world, they joined the army for a variety of reason, chief among them a desire to escape low pay and horrible working conditions. Written by Timothy J. Stapleton has been a post-doctoral fellow at Rhodes University, a senior lecturer in history at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa, and a research associate at the University of Zimbabwe. Available on Amazon.co.uk Available on Amazon.com
	The Matabele Campaign: 1896 By Robert Baden-Powell is his account of the Campaign in Suppressing the Matabele Rising in the Matabeleland and Mashonsland in 1896. Available on Amazon.co.uk Available on Amazon.com
	Zulus and Matabele: Warrior Nations Written by Glen Lyndon Dodds who grew up in Matabeleland and covers the rise and fall of the Zulus and Matabele nations. This account begins with the characters who spurred the people to greatness and nationhood, continues with the wars and battles which afflicted them and ends with an assessment of their role in the history of Southern Africa. Available on Amazon.co.uk Available on Amazon.com

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This memorial commemorates a number of the settlers who were killed in the 1896 Matebele uprising in the Shangani Area [map]

Why this memorial is situated at this point and is given the name “Pongo” are mysteries. The Pongo river is not here but about 15km further west towards Bulawayo. Originally this river was called (in 1893) the Manzimyana, but an 1897 map clearly shows it renamed the Pongo river and this is where the Pongo Store was. One can but guess that perhaps the memorial was put here at the site adjacent to where the settlers had defeated the Matabele in 1893 rather than somewhere else which would have had no special significance.

Where did the name “Pongo” come from?

The dictionary defines Pongo as an early name for a large African ape, the Orang-outang, and it is also what the British sailors call British soldiers!

When was it erected?

Presumably after the coach road was changed to follow what is now the old strip road – but when was this?

The names on the memorial

Most names have been carved onto the stone, and metal plaques were added later and they contain some additional names. One name, Moonie, has a line carved through it and the story is that Moonie was thought to have been killed, but wasn’t and after returning some years later he cut the line through his name.

The list below displays the details of some of the names on the memorial.

Map of the Location of the Pogo Memorial near Shangani

I took these photos in March 2000, returning to Gweru from our trip to the Matopos so am not sure if the memorial still stands?

Posters & Books on Matabele History

Amazon have a bunch of really interesting posters and books relating to Matabeleland, Lobengula and the history of this area:

In the UK

In the USA

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He was later accepted by the London Missionary Society, and at the age of 21, he sailed for Cape Town, South Africa. The hardships and primitive conditions did not deter him as he pushed northward into the interior, where he won to Christ the most dangerous outlaw chief in that region.

Returning to Cape Town in 1819, he met his fiancée, arriving from England, and they were married. Together, they spent the next 51 years on the mission field, most of it in Kuruman experiencing the many hardships and sorrows of that primitive area. Three of their children died in infancy and youth. However, five of the remaining ones remained in Africa as missionaries. Mary, the oldest daughter, became the wife of David Livingstone.

The work of Moffat was, as it were, the stepping stones which others used in spreading the Gospel throughout the Dark Continent. He opened many mission stations and served as the pioneer missionary in an area of hundreds of square miles. He translated the Bible into the language of the Bechwanas, first having reduced the language to written characters.

In 1870, after 54 years in Africa, he and his wife returned to England, where one year later she died. Moffat continued to promote foreign missions the rest of his life. He raised funds for a seminary that was built at the Kuruman Station, where native students were prepared for missionary work among their own people. At his death in 1883 the London newspaper said, “Perhaps no more genuine soul ever breathed. He addressed the cultured audiences within the majestic halls of Westminster Abbey with the same simple manner in which he led the worship in the huts of the savages.”!

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Before this, the Kuruman Mission was established by the London Missionary Society (LMS) in 1816 at Maruping near Kuruman where a town of about 10 000 Batswana were resident. Robert Moffat arrived in Kuruman from Scotland in 1820, and soon organised permission from Chief Mothibi to relocate it to the present position at Seodin in the valley of the Kuruman River. From here he preached Christianity to the local people. Today the Moffat Mission Station is now a museum and open to visitors.

Moffat (1795-1887) laboured at the mission for 50 years, and his period is considered the “golden age” of missionary work amongst the Batswana. He was a man of considerable talents and oversaw the building of staff houses, a school house, store rooms, and the “cathedral of the Kalahari”, the great Moffat Church (1838) which can seat 800 people.

Not content with this he was as the same time working on what would be his greatest legacy: the Setswana Bible. He taught himself Setswana, developed the orthography and (with a broader team) translated the Bible. Once this was done, he then proceeded to print it on a hand press – being the first entire Bible printed in Africa.

The mission is also well-known as the first African home of Dr. David Livingstone. He arrived as an LMS missionary in 1841, and remained in contact with the mission due to his marriage to Moffat’s eldest daughter Mary jr. The image of the tree are what remains of the famous wild almond tree under which David Livingstone proposed to Mary Moffat and can still be seen today.

The mission also witnessed the first ordination of a Motswana, Rev. Maphakela Lekalake who served the church to the ripe age of 97.

Thompson Avenue
P O Box 34, Kuruman, 8460
Tel (053) 7121352/7122645
Tel/fax: (053) 7121352
email: moffat@spg.co.za

Visiting hours:
Monday-Saturday: 08:00 – 17:00
Sunday and Public holidays: 15:00 -17:00

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John Maxwell Lineham Love was born in Bulawayo on December 7th, 1924 and sadly recently passed away on April 25th, 2005. Overall he raced in 10 Formula One Grand Prix races during a decade in the sport, with his first on December 29, 1962 and his last race in 1972. He never managed to win a race, although came very close (more about this below), but did get one podium place (2nd), and scored a total of 6 championship points. A very bad accident that resulted in a badly broken arm ruined his chances of racing in Formula 1 full-time.

John first got into motor racing just after World War 2 (WW2), where he served in the Middle East and Italy in an Armour Car Division (where I think he was a Tank driver), he returned to Bulawayo and then from 1947 to 1953, competed in motorcycle races against other Zimbabwean motor cycle racing legends like Ray Amm and future six time world motor cycling champion Jim Redman.

During the 1960’s he was the South African F1 Champion six times. Before racing in F1, he did very well racing for a very famous name in motorsport, in Ken Tyrrell’s Cooper-Austin team in the European Formula Junior firmament.

1967 South African Grand Prix in Kyalami
Probably he most unlucky moment came during the first race of the 1967 F1 GP season, held in South Africa and for the first time at Kyalami, which would help the local drivers like John who had raced on the track before. Because the previous season had ended late, both the Ferrari and McLaren teams decided not to race and many of the other top drivers were still using last years cars. But all the big names of the day were there:

Sir Jack Brabham and Denny Hulme racing for the Brabham that dominated the 1966 title in their BT20, the Repco 3 litre V8. Graham Hill and Jim Clark racing for Lotus, Jochen Rindt and Pedro Rodriguez racing for Cooper in their T81 Maserati V12, John Surtees racing for Honda, Jackie Stewart and Mike Spence racing for BRM in their P83. Other entrants included Dan Gurney, Jo Siffert, Bob Anderson, Jo Bonnier and Piers Courage, plus two other South Africans, Charlton and Luki Botha and the other Zimbabwean to race in formula 1, Sam Tingle.

John would be racing in a vehicle that had never raced in F1 before, the Cooper T79 with a Climax four-cylinder engine. The chassis had actually won the Australian GP at Longford in 1965 as it had been a special built for Bruce McLaren, after which John Love then bought it and had used it to win many local races.

John Love (No.17) in fith place at the start of the 1967 South African GP

Qualifying went well and he started the race in 5th place on the grid, behind Brabham, Hulme, Clark and Rodriguez. Unfortunately he made a poor start and was down to 10th place after the first lap, but some excellent driving and some retirements saw him get up to second place behind Hulme, who almost had a minutes lead, until a break fluid problem forced him to pit on lap 61. So with three quarters of the race done, John Love was in the lead and it was looking good for the man from Bulawayo to taking the chequered flag and his countries first ever win in an Formula 1 race.

Sadly, it was not to be however and with just 7 laps to go, his 2.8-litre four-cylinder Climax engine began to run low on fuel and he had to pit to re-fuel to the complete astonishment of the now very excited crown. Pedro Rodriguez in his Cooper went on to win with John finishing in a career best in second place.

When his racing days were over, he went back to live out the rest of his life in his beloved Bulawayo where he set up and ran a garage and Jaguar dealership and also had his own stock car racing team that competed in the 80’s.

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With this years Formula One championship shaping up to being one of the most exciting ever, I thought I would take a look at Zimbabweans involved in Motorsport.  Zimbabwe has a very strong  heritage in motor sport, with a number of Zimbabweans doing well in many different disciplines all around the world (more to follow), but I wonder how many of you know that there once were two Zimbabweans (Rhodesians) who drove in F1 as well as a multiple MotoGP world champion (motor cycle racing).

John Maxwell Lineham Love

Not only did John Love race in Formula One, but he was involved in one of the most interesting stories in it’s history, he was born in Bulawayo, Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe) on December the 7th 1924 and sadly died recently on April 25th 2005. His first formula 1 race was the 1962 South African Grand Prix held at East London on December 29, driving a Cooper-Climax where he finished 8th, the Two time world champion and father of Damon Hill, Graham Hill went on to win the race.  >> For more on this very interesting story, check out my post on John Maxwell Lineham Love.

Sam Tingle

The only other person from the then republic of Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe to successfully enter a Formula One race, was Sam Tingle. He was actually, born in Manchester, England on August 24th, 1921 and sadly like John Love recently passed away on December 19th 2008, in Cape Town, South Africa.

He raced for the then Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, taking part in five Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, as well as several non-Championship F1 races.  His first was on December 28th 1963.  During his brief career, he did not manage to score any championship points.

Clive Puzey

A third very talented driver from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) was  Clive Puzey,who came close, but failed to pre-qualify in his attempt to drive in the 1965 South African Grand Prix.

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Mzilikazi was born in 1790, near Mkuze, Zululand [now in South Africa] died on Sept. 9th, 1868 at Ingama in Matabeleland [near Bulawayo, now in Zimbabwe]

Also spelled UMSILIGASI, OR MOZELEKATSE, South African king who founded the powerful Ndebele (Matabele) kingdom in what is now Zimbabwe. The greatest Bantu warrior after Shaka, king of the Zulus, Mzilikazi took his Kumalo people more than 500 miles (800 km) from what is now South Africa to the region now known as Zimbabwe, creating en route an immense and ethnically diverse nation. Mzilikazi was a statesman of considerable stature, able to weld the many conquered tribes into a strong, centralized kingdom.

Originally a lieutenant of Shaka, he revolted against the Zulu king in 1823 and withdrew his people northward to safety from their home on the southeast coast of Africa. He traveled to Mozambique and then west into the Transvaal, settling there by 1826. Continued attacks by coalitions of his enemies caused him to move west again to what is now Botswana and, in 1837, northward to present-day Zambia. Unable to conquer the Kololo nation there, Mzilikazi moved his followers, now numbering 15,000 to 20,000, eastward into what is now southwestern Zimbabwe, where he settled Matabeleland (c. 1840). He organized the country in a militaristic system of regimental towns strong enough to repel Boer attacks (1847-51) and to force the Boer government in the Transvaal to conclude a peace with him in 1852.

Mzilikazi was generally friendly to European travelers, but the discovery of gold in Matabeleland in 1867 brought a flood of Europeans that he was unable to control and that eventually led to the downfall of the kingdom.

Mzilikazi, watercolour sketch by William Cornwallis Harris, October 1836

The famous image above was painted by William Cornwallis Harris in October 1836. It was redrawn and engraved to serve as the frontispiece to Harris’s well-known narrative of his proto-safari in southern Africa, first published in 1838, and in that form is considered to be the only portrait of the king (frequently reproduced from that context). For more details on the picture and on Mzilikazi >> Click here

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David Livingstone was born in Blantyre, Scotland, on March 19, 1813. One of seven children of a very poor family, he was already working in a cotton mill by the time he was 10. The little education he received came largely through his own efforts and from the determination of his parents, strict Calvinists who believed in hard work and schooling.

In 1834 he heard about an appeal by British and American churches for medical missionaries to go to China. He decided this should be his career, and for two years while continuing to work part-time, he studied theology and medicine. In 1838 he was accepted by the London Missionary Society but was prevented from going to China by the Opium War. A subsequent meeting with Robert Moffat, the noted missionary to southern Africa, convinced Livingstone that he should take up his work in Africa.

He arrived in Cape Town on March 14, 1841. From the moment he arrived, Livingstone determined to become an explorer to help open up the continent for Christianity and Western civilization. His career can be divided into four fairly distinct phases: the early missionary explorations in the years from 1841 to 1849, during which he traveled to the Transvaal and into the Kalahari region; the expedition from 1850 to 1856 that took him to Luanda on the west coast and to Quelimane on the east coat; the explorations along the Zambezi River from 1858 to 1864; and his determined, but unsuccessful, search for the source of the Nile River from 1866 to 1873.

By mid-1842 he had travelled north into the Kalahari territory, farther than any European had ventured. He established a mission at Mabotsa in 1844. He married Moffat’s daughter, Mary, and she accompanied him on his travels until 1852, when she and their four children returned to Britain because of her health and the children’s needs for security and education.

During his first decade in Africa, Livingstone gained his first measure of fame when he assisted in the discovery of Lake Ngami on Aug. 1, 1849. For this he was awarded a gold medal and a monetary prize by the British Royal Geographical Society.

With his family safely in Scotland, Livingstone was able to set out on his second major journey in November 1853. His first goal was to reach the Atlantic coast to open up an avenue of commerce. He arrived at Luanda, on the Atlantic coast, on May 31, 1854. Four months later he began the return trip, exploring the Zambezi River region along the way. On May 20, 1856, he arrived at Quelimane, on the east coast, in Mozambique. The most spectacular result of this trip was the discovery and naming of Victoria Falls on the Zambezi on Nov. 17, 1855.

For his accomplishments he was received as a national hero when he returned to England in December 1856. He published a book, `Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa’ in 1857 and spent six months on a speaking tour in the British Isles. His speeches at Cambridge were published as `Dr. Livingstone’s Cambridge Lectures’ in 1858. Back in Africa early in 1858, Livingstone began extensive explorations of the Zambezi region. On this journey his wife died, in April 1862. The explorations were not successful from a commercial point of view, so the expedition was recalled by the British government.

Livingstone’s last great venture was his attempt to locate the source of the Nile. This quest, fraught with hardships and dissension among his staff, left him broken in health and–at one point–given up for dead. Henry Morton Stanley, a correspondent for the New York Herald, found him in Ujiji on Oct. 23, 1871, and provided him with food and medicine.

Together they explored the area northeast of Lake Tanganyika. Stanley returned to England in March 1872, but Livingstone refused to accompany him. On May 1, 1873, his servants found him dead in a village in what is now Zambia. His body was taken to England and buried in Westminster Abbey on April 18, 1874. Later that year `The Last Journals of David Livingstone’ were published.

The David Livingstone Statue at Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe

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KAROI IS NOW  one of the greatest tobacco- growing areas in the Rhodesias (This article was written before Zimbabwe’s Independence), but for very many years it was regarded as being outside the range of settlement. The two farming pioneers of the area were the brothers Leroux, who settled on a farm they called Karoi (after the nearby river) during the mica boom which made Miami a flourishing settlement in 1921. These brothers were remarkable men; and many are the stories told about them. Carl Leroux, when he knew he was stricken with a fatal disease, ordered his brothers to dig his grave, and calmly sent. into Sinoia for his coffin. After Carl’s death, the farm was abandoned in 1928.

It was ten years later that C.P., better known as “Robble” Robertson, was attracted to the area. A descendant of the 1820 settlers, he settled in Rhodesia and learnt his tobacco growing, alongside the former Prime Minister, Mr. Winston Field, while working for 0. C. Rawson. He was at first refused a land grant on the grounds that the area was too ridden with tsetse fly to be suitable for settlement, but, as was the old Rhodesian custom, he sat In the Minister’s office, until . . . although not in so many words . . . he was told to push off and help himself.

He set the boundaries of his own farm, next to the Leroux’s original property and called it Buffalo Downs. Although game then abounded, the name came from his favourite of three dogs, called Jumbo, Hippo and Buffalo. “Robbie” Robertson planted his first crop of 100 acres of tobacco in 1939, and his crop in 1940 caused such a sensation that it was mentioned in Parliamentary debates. His yield was over 1,000 Ibs. to the acre-almost double the then normal-and sold for the price of 8d. a lb. over average.

Apart from a wry comment by the then Minister of Finance that a special supertax should be introduced for that sort of thing, the authorities were quick to see how this pioneering effort could be turned to the national advantage. A few other farmers were granted land during the war years, and the whole area previously believed as being too unhealthy an area for farming was surveyed.

Karoi came to be one of the most successful land settlement areas immediately after the war and its real opening up began in 1947. First known as the Urungwe Area, it appropriately became called Karoi, after the Leroux’s original farm, which, also appropriately, “Robble” Robertson later added to his own property, as a result of an accidental meeting in a bar with Leroux’s executor.

Were it not for the pioneering example of the two old Leroux brothers, and the persistance and immediate success of the man who followed them, Karoi with its over three hundred successful farmers might still be one of the undeveloped instead of one of the most prosperous and enterprising areas.

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