this making him much taller than most of his contemporaries and giving him the heroic, statuesque appearance of a born commander. Given his future career, it’s certainly ironic that George’s mother fought his efforts, at age fourteen, to become a commissioned officer in the Royal Navy. She thought such a life would be too harsh for her son, so George decided to learn to become a surveyor. He was fiercely intent on acquiring property and wealth, and a surveying career could lead to quick riches in