A glossary for the great soviet atlas

Summary

This article comprises two short pieces. The first reviews a glossary of English translations for the Great Soviet Atlas produced by Syracuse University, pointing out numerous errors, such as mistranslating 'alkaline' as 'porous', 'basic' as 'original', and 'wolf' as 'ox'. It lists specific problems in geographical terms, river names, and map legends, emphasizing that the atlas remains difficult for English-speaking users. The second piece examines dates in the log of the Hero, questioning Colonel Lawrence Martin's interpretation that Palmer kept astronomical time. Based on the fact that the British Navy abolished nautical time after 1805, it argues the log dates should be civil time, meaning Palmer's sighting of land occurred on November 17, not 18.