OSBORN, Sherard (1822—1875), English admiral and explorer, was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel Osborn of the Madras army, and was born 25th April 1822. Entering the navy as a first-class volunteer in 1837, he was in the following year entrusted, though only a midshipman, with the command of a gunboat, the “Emerald,” at the attack on Kedah. He was present at the reduction of Canton in 1841, and at the capture of the batteries of Woosung in the following year. Having passed lieutenant in 1844, he was in the same year appointed gunnery mate of the “Collingwood,” under Sir George Seymour in the Pacific. On account of his interest in the fate of many of his friends and messmates, he took a prominent part in advocating a new search expedition for Sir John Franklin. When it was agreed upon he was appointed to the command of one of the ships, and performed a remarkable sledge journey to the western extremity of Prince of Wales Island, of which he published an account entitled Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal, 1852. In the new expedition fitted out in the spring of that year he also took part as commander of the “Pioneer,” and, after spending two trying winters up Wellington Channel, returned home in 1855. In 1856 he published the journals of Robert M i Clure, giving a narrative of the discovery of the North-West Passage. Shortly after his return he was called to active service in connexion with the Russian war; and in command of a light squadron of gunboats on the Sea of Azoff he distinguished himself in the destruction of the stores of the enemy at various points on the coast. Receiving post rank, he was appointed to the “Medusa,” in which he continued to command the Sea of Azoff squadron until the conclusion of peace. As commander of the “Furious” he ...