Soon the white settlers realize that they are not alone: a group of descendants of runaway slaves live in the area, in a settlement—generally known as a quilombo—they call "The Island" because it is the only permanently fertile spot in a sea of sand where it rains only during the rainy season.
Soon the white settlers become aware that they are not the only inhabitants: a group of individuals who are descendants of escaped slaves reside in the area, inhabiting a settlement—commonly referred to as a quilombo—they call "The Island" due to it being the sole permanently fertile location in an otherwise arid landscape where rainfall is limited to the rainy season.