Johan Brelin (1734-82) embarked on a voyage to China in January 1755 aboard the ship Sophia Albertina, commanded by Captain Carl Gustav Lehman. The return trip from China was filled with challenges. Brelin became disoriented, suffered a foot injury, and was stranded on the uninhabited island of Ascension west of Africa, where he feared facing an extremely difficult death. Fortunately, he was rescued by a French ship just in time.
Despite facing further hardships, including being briefly suspected of espionage in Portugal and enduring poverty during a winter in Amsterdam, Brelin eventually managed to return to Sweden in April 1757. Upon his arrival in Stockholm, he discovered that he had been presumed dead and that his family still mourned him, yet his written account of the journey reflects a positive and somewhat happy-go-lucy attitude.

This travel-account was published in facsimile in 1973.