Serving as a brigade major, Keating was placed in command of recruitment in County Mayo, a service for which he later received the thanks of both his senior officers and the local government.

These colonies formed a base for a powerful squadron of French frigates, which were at the time causing severe damage to British trade in the region, breaking up East Indiamen convoys and seizing ships with cargoes worth over £500,000.

Keating, with a detachment of soldiers provided by the Madras government and using ships from the squadron of Commodore Josias Rowley, who was in overall command, seized the small island of Rodrigues.

This harbour was sheltering a French frigate named Caroline and two captured East Indiamen, but was defended by five powerful gun batteries.

The plan was a total success, Keating's men capturing each battery in turn early in the morning of 21 September and using the cannon within to fire on the shipping in the harbour.

For his service in the campaign, Keating was awarded 400 guineas worth of silver plate and given the governorship of the renamed Île Bonaparte, Ile Bourbon.