 Upon receiving the news of the hostilities between Britain and the Batavian Republic , Lord Hobart , Governor of Madras , conferred with Rainier and ordered the invasion of Ceylon . Command of land forces was given to Colonel James Stuart , whose forces consisted of the 71st , 72nd and 73rd Regiments of Foot , 1st and 23rd battalions Madras Native Infantry and detachments from the Royal Artillery and Madras Artillery and auxiliary forces , totaling 2 @,@ 700 men . This force was supported by a Royal Navy force led by Rainier in the 74 @-@ gun ship of the line HMS Suffolk and the 50 @-@ gun fourth rate ship HMS Centurion , which sailed from Madras on 21 July . Suffolk escorted a large convoy of East India Company merchant ships transporting troops and supplies , augmented off Negapatnam by additional reinforcements protected by the frigates HMS Diomede and HMS Heroine . 
