Lost Island History: Witnesses from the sea

Witnesses to the stage of emergence of Ferdinandea were basically two: the captains Trefiletti and Corrao. The first, Francesco Trefiletti was in command of the brig Sicilian "Gustavo", en route from Malta to Palermo. Party July 5, he declare that I have seen on 8 July hearty column of smoke rising from the sea, a fish kill and he got to the 'scene of the crime', Captain Trefiletti declare that "with God regularity raises a column of water high reeds twelve and fourteen palms, with a diameter greater than that of a vessel, the bubbled for ten minutes and drops, while at the same time raises the smoke".

The captain of the brig Neapolitan "Teresina," Giovanni Corrao,  after finding out at the Gulf of Tre Fontane the usual fish kill and black pumice floating on the horizon and thunder, on July 9 the next day, at a distance of twenty miles by Subpart S. Marco saw "a quantity of water that rose above the surface of the sea with smoke, about 60 feet leading to almost 200 steps circumference [of three hundred and sixty meters], which carried a smoke smell sulfur "and yet the sound of thunder. On July 13, he reported to the captain Corrao Girgenti where port authorities to declare that in his opinion was being born a new volcano. Trefiletti and Corrao were the first witnesses of the volcanic activity on the surface of the sea.