A Grumpy Fool

Red flags: Unbelievable nature you've never seen before!, no external source cited, low image quality could be hiding AI artifacts, lacks scientific name for plant, OP is an aesthetic blog (no offense, I see you credit most of the artists you post, OP <3).

Green flags: Common name of the tree provided (although the leaves don't look like any olive tree I've ever seen).

Reverse image searches and citation trails all seem to lead back to now-deleted Reddit posts. Google Images says it's this one in r/NatureIsFuckingLit, and TinEye says it's this one in r/interestingasfuck. Both were posted back in 2020. This is important because the rise of AI images was in 2022.

People in the comments of places this image is posted throw around botanical terms like "dichotomous branching" [branches split into two at the nodes] and "divaricated" [branches grow far apart from each other], which are cool, but don't tell me what the tree is.

Searching up "Black Olive" on iNaturalist finally got me some answers, and it turns out that YES. This is a real tree! This tree is a Dwarf Black Olive (Terminalia molinetii, Formerly Bucida spinosa). The above photos are some particularly nicely framed shots of a tree with particularly small leaves, which really highlights the branching structure. I really wish we knew the photographer's name. Here are some more photos of the same species:

Terminalia molinetii by jriveracruz50 on iNaturalist, posted under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

This tree is native to Southern Mexico, Belize, the southern tip of Florida, and Cuba. Dwarf Black Olives are completely unrelated to Olive trees in the Olea genus that I'm more familiar with (the former is in Order Myrtales [Myrtles, Evening Primroses, and Allies], and the latter is in Order Lamiales [Mints, Plantains, Olives, and Allies]).

Samuel Graves’ orders to his nephew John, who is being tasked, among other things, to hunt Jeremiah O'Brien:

Whereas his majesty’s armed Schooner Margueritta was on the 11th of last month attacked and taken by rebels in a sloop & schooner from Mechias, after an obstinate engagement in which the commander of the said schooner Margueritta & one Marine were Killed and four wounded, and the rest being made Prisoners were carried by the Rebels into the Country; and whereas I have undoubted Information that these pirate Vessels and several others are now cruizing about Mechias in the Bay of Fundy, and to the Southward as far as Sheepscut River, with intent to take and destroy all Vessels and People employed in bringing Supplies to the Kings Army and Fleet at Boston, You are hereby required and directed to take Lieut [George] Dawson in his Majesty’s Schooner Hope under your Command, and proceed together in search of these Pyrates or any others you can [get] Intelligence of, whom you are to do your utmost to take, sink, burn or destroy by all means in your power, wherever you find them, and all persons who shall be actually aiding and assisting them. You are to take the two Transports named in the Margin under your Convoy and see them safe into Annapolis Royal, and then proceed to Windsor where there are six or more Vessels laden with Cattle, Sheep and other Provisions for the use of the Kings Forces at Boston, which Vessels cannot sail without Convoy: You are either to bring these Vessels away directly, or acquaint their Masters when you will return and convoy them to Boston. Having determined this as you shall see best for the Kings Service you are jointly to proceed in quest of the Pyrates that infest the Coast as aforementioned, giving all possible assistance to known friends, and encouraging and protecting all persons who are willing or inclined to bring Supplies or Fuel to Boston, and seizing every Vessel you find offending against the restraining Acts or otherwise acting contrary to Law. And whereas I am informed the Enemy depend chiefly for Success upon Boarding, and to that end carry an extraordinary number of hands; you are to be very careful that you are not surprized. You are to inform yourself when the Brigs will be ready to Sail, and bring them with you to Boston, where you are to come in company with the Hope or not as the Service will admit. Given under my Hand on board his Majs Ship Preston at Boston the 18July 1 7 75 Sam Graves

(NDAR 1, p. 913-14)

Knowing that Samuel Graves was exceptionally close with his nephews, this last highlighted passage warning John to be careful seems particularly poignant in the wake of the death of Midshipman James Moore.

And secondly, an epitaph published on James Moore in a local newspaper:

Here is the story, from Wheeler’s History of Brunswick, Topsham and Harpswell (1878):

About the same time [summer 1775] Robert Fulton, John and WIlliam Patten, Thomas Harward, Joseph Berry, and David Fowler, from Topsham, went in a vessel to the mouth of the Androscoggin [River] for hay, and were taken by the English and carried to England. Robert Fulton and William Patten died there; the others returned.

This story has fascinated me since I first heard it. It meant that a British ship had to make its way from the Atlantic (see arrow on map below) close to 18 miles up the tidal Kennebec River, pop out past the chops at Bath, into Merrymeeting Bay, and then sight AND capture what was probably a gundalow full of men haying along the mouth of the Androscoggin (see star on map below). That’s a long way up the Kennebec into the interior of Maine. There is very little chance the captured men of Topsham would have expected to have encountered a ship of the British Navy in their inland bay.

I actually dismissed the story as a typical Maine tall-tale for a long time, but then about a month ago I came upon the testimony of one of the captured men, Joseph Berry, given after his return to Maine:

Apart from it being an amazing story of survival and an incredible journey, Berry actually gives the name of the commander, Dawson, and the name of the ship, the schooner Hope, that captured him and the five others on the last day of August, 1775. Furthermore, we learn that he was held on HMS Preston for three months–presumably in Boston Harbor–before being transported to England.

ці ты бачыш мяне?

Rocky: "why Grace so 🎶🎶🎶 stupid. Question."

Grace: "Excuse me buddy?"

Rocky: "...🎶🎶🎶 stupid. Hmm. Need word."

Grace: "...what does it mean?"

Rocky: "Meant add strength to word. But some Eridians think also .....rude"

Grace: "So a swear word. I'm not giving you the human word for that."

Rocky: "Why not. Question."

Grace: "Because this human thinks they are rude too."