However badly he knew his Greek verbs or his Latin syntax he had a very shrewd and curious knowledge of the world when he left school at fifteen to enter the local branch of the Commercial Bank of Scotland.
At school he had wanted to own ships.

This ambition still lodged in his brain.

His thoughts were all at sea.

There was no romance in the world so pleasing to his soul as the romance of the merchant marine.

He had a real passion for harbours.