| Re: Mercator—Also on Mercator's map, a mariner would need to set the compass one time and then follow that direction as closely as possible. A compass on a great circle route needs constant adjustment, which isn't all that hard to do if you know your latitude and longitude... however, in those days, they couldn't really measure longitude with any reasonable accuracy. So, better to follow the longer loxodrome than risk getting hopelessly lost on wild and savage shores in less time. |