Question

What does the anaphora add to the asyndeton, “we saw no houses, no smoke, no footprints...”?

Answer 1

As being used here, the asyndeton gives the reality that the list of what is not on the island is endless or infinite. The anaphora adds punch or climax, that nothing having to do with society can be seen. Not only that, the list is not only endless, it is ardently void of anything.