The Past and Future of British Relations in China

A veteran of both Opium Wars, British naval officer Sherard Osborn published in 1860 these forthright remarks on Chinese affairs.

In 1860, naval officer Sherard Osborn (1822–75), a veteran of both Opium Wars, published this collection of remarks and predictions on Chinese affairs in relation to British imperial interests. Osborn seeks to explain the Chinese frame of mind to his readership, perceived as lacking sound information on the topic.In 1860, naval officer Sherard Osborn (1822–75), a veteran of both Opium Wars, published this collection of remarks and predictions on Chinese affairs in relation to British imperial interests. Osborn writes in forthright style of his time in the East and his negative experiences of Chinese diplomacy to support his view that 'the European has ever to use force rather than argument to obtain his ends in China, be they however moderate, however just'. He also sets out some advice on how to prevent British smugglers from taking advantage of the Chinese. A number of Osborn's other publications are also reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection, including Stray Leaves from an Arctic Journal (1852), The Discovery of the North-West Passage by HMS Investigator (1856), and The Career, Last Voyage, and Fate of Captain Sir John Franklin (1860).