To Charles Hamilton Smith   14 January [1845]

Dear SIr

I venture, on the remembrance of the kindness, which you showed me several years since, when starting as naturalist on board the Beagle,¹ to ask you to do me a favour.— I have been reading your interesting Paper on the original Population of America, in the last New Eding. Phil. Journal,² & at p. 8 you refer to a “ruined city or cities”, in the Caroline Group, of vast size, & to other appearances indicating that the land has subsided or is again rising; I am particularly anxious to know, where I could find any account of these facts, & if you would be so kind as to take the trouble of sending me the briefest reference, I should esteem it a great favour. From the structure of the coral-reefs in the Caroline Group, I have been led to believe it has subsided, & in a small work, published two or three years since, (at p. 127)³ I have given an extract from an Australian newspaper describing the ruins of houses on Pouynipète⁴ (or Seniavine), which are “now only accessible by boats”, but I did not like trusting too implicitly to such authority & therefore laid no stress on the statements.— Admiral Lutké⁵ who has so well explored this group & whom I saw some time since in London, does not appear to have seen anything of these ruins.

Hoping that you will excuse the liberty, which I have taken in troubling you, & will kindly favour me with a reply; I beg to remain | dear Sir | Yours faithfully & obliged | Charles Darwin