population of almost 10,300. In a first phase, the officers present in Canada, all hailed from France. However, since 1685, the Canadian « gentilshommes » secured positions in the troupes de marine. The first two, La Durantaye and Bécancourt, embarked for Rochefort where they received a guard formation in la marine. Quite quickly, the officer corps of the troupes de la marine becomes Canadian « canadianise ». At the beginning of the 18th century, almost a third of the officers were born in Canada, then more than half of the officer corps in 1722. The officers were practically all recruited locally. The troupes de la Marine were the only regular troops in Nouvelle-France from 1682 to 1755, while several other battalions were sent to North America. The majority of the officers and soldiers were recruited in France, while the officers became more often Canadian. Service in the troupes de la Marine was an important source of economic opportunity, and a prestige for the elite of Nouvelle-France. There was often a waiting list to be nominated as an officer in the companies of the troupes de la marine. While the force of the troupes varied from one period to another, during the Seven Years' War, there were forty companies in the valley of Saint-Laurent and at the Pays d'en Haut; twenty at the Fortress of Louisbourg, in addition to Louisiana and Acadia. Significant garrisons were held at Quebec, Montreal, and New Orleans, with small forces guarding the forts and posts across the vast territory of the North America during the 18th century. The companies were known as the colonial regular troops, and they were very well trained in the arts of conventional warfare and very well adapted to the "guerre amérindienne" (commonly known as guerilla warfare). In concert with the Canadian militias and the allied guerrilla units, the troupes de la marine were essentially in charge of mounting the defensive in Nouvelle-France during the 17th and 18th century. With the important arrival of British forces in 1755, the nature of the conflict in the Americas changed from irregular troops to conventional troops, with a particular importance around the sieges and fortifications. Battalions were sent to protect Nouvelle-France after 1755. During the Seven Years' War, the garrison of Louisburg was made captive with the fortress falling. After the conquest of 1760, many former veterans permanently established themselves in the new territory, while