British Expedition to Abyssinia to Ethiopia. In 1999, several prominent figures in England and Ethiopia created the Association For the Return of the Magdala Ethiopian Treasures (AFROMET) which has pursued an information and lobbying campaign to see all treasure repatriated back to Ethiopia. Tewodros had asked his wife, the Empress Tiruwork Wube, in the event of his death, to put his son, Prince Alemayehu, under the protection of the English. This decision was apparently made in fear that his life would be taken by any aspirant for the empire of Abyssinia. In accordance with these wishes, Alemayehu was taken to London where he was
SS Abyssinia days to reach Vancouver from Yokohama, arriving there on 13 June 1887, establishing a new trans-Pacific record. "Abyssinia's" freight shipment of silk and tea was transferred to rail, arriving in New York (via Montreal) on 21 June, and loaded onto another ship arriving in London on 29 June. "Abyssinia" was returned to Guion when Canadian Pacific took delivery on the three new "Empress" liners. Guion placed "Abyssinia" back on the Liverpool-Queenstown-New York route. Her first eastbound return trip cleared New York on 13 December with 57 passengers and 88 crew with various cargo including cotton. At 12:40 pm on 18