The first contingent of troupes de la Marine, comprised of 150 soldiers who had sailed from La Rochelle, disembarked in Québec in 1683. Their equipment was acquired by naval administrators from civilian suppliers. All essential clothing and objects (jerkins, trousers, hats, undershirts, shoes, ties, socks, caps, combs and hammocks) were purchased before their departure and loaded onto the ships setting sail for New France. With recruits arriving until 1688, the number of troops serving the colony rose to nearly 1,500. In a 1695 decree, the King authorized the local recruitment of soldiers, although the appointment of their supervising officers remained his responsibility. He preferred to retain the services of worthy officers with experience in Canada, some of whom had arrived 30 years earlier with the Carignan-Salières Regiment.