From 1746 to 1749, the Swedish ship G繹tha Lejon sailed on a mercantile mission to Canton. Several accounts of what transpired have survived. A handwritten journal has been attributed to Carl Fredrik von Schantz (1727-92). Another account of the mission of G繹tha Lejon was compiled by Carl Johan Gethe (1728-65), a cartographer and natural historian. His diary is titled ???iary of a Journey to East India begun on 18 October 1746 and ending June 20, 1749??

The Swedish East India Company (Swedish: Svenska Ostindiska Companiet or SOIC) was founded in 1731 in Gothenburg, Sweden, for the purpose of conducting trade with the Far East, and grew to become the largest trading company in Sweden during the 18th century. It closed in 1813.