The Pacific Ocean created a large, 10 000 km gap between China's main port located in Guangdong province, Guangzhao port, and the coast of British Columbia. This distance could only be crossed using ships, which would take several weeks to arrive. While at sea, there was no access to doctors or other professionals. During these long, isolated journeys, men were likely to fall sick to sometimes fatal illnesses such as scurvy.
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In British Columbia, the population was mainly dominated by Caucasians. When the Chinese began arriving in such large numbers, the Canadians feared that their jobs would be taken away, since the Chinese workers were more efficient than they were (Collections Canada 2). To keep the citizens satisfied, the government imposed a head tax against Chinese immigrants. In 1885, the Act to Restrict and Regulate Chinese Immigration was created. This act stated that to land in British Columbia, the Chinese must pay $10 per person. Over the course of 18 years, this price was gradually raised to $500 per person (Plumblossom Centre 9).