Answer:
<u>Sailors</u>
Explanation:
Interestingly, according to the text, we could recall a conversation between Whitney and Rainsford concerning the mysterious island, Whitney said,
<em>"The old charts call it `Ship-Trap Island,"' Whitney replied." A suggestive name, isn't it? Sailors have a curious dread of the place. I don't know why. Some superstition."</em>
By saying <em>sailors...dread the place</em>, it meant that the island was so terrible that even sailors would not live there.