An 1846 lithograph by Murdoch Bruce of British troops in Victoria, Hong Kong

The ancient and sometimes fatal tradition of duelling in England was confined mainly to the upper classes. Consequently, it never became a problem in Hong Kong where there was a distinct shortage of psychopathic aristocrats prepared to defend their honour in mortal combat. It was also considered socially unacceptable to fight a duel with a person who was not a gentleman.

There was, however, the odd hot-tempered army officer like Lieutenant Macdonald of the 98th Regiment, an officer and a gentleman who was court-martialled on March 4, 1845 for challenging Major Caine, the founder of the Hong Kong Police, to a duel.

It all started with a brawl between a group of drunken British soldiers from Macdonald's regiment and some civilians who lived in the market area. The soldiers were severely beaten and it was rumoured that their comrades planned to return to the scene of the fray and batter those responsible.

To prevent further violence, Macdonald was put in charge of a picket to patrol the area. Unfortunately, Macdonald exceeded his orders. He went round to the house of a civilian called Robinson, whom he suspected of being involved, and dragged him back to the barracks where, allegedly, he was beaten up by vengeful troops.

Robinson sued Macdonald and was awarded $50 in damages, which Macdonald refused to pay. Major Caine, in his capacity as Sheriff of the Supreme Court, sent a bailiff to the barracks to arrest Macdonald. However, due to the shortage of court officers, he chose a bailiff who was a private soldier seconded to the court. He was dressed in civilian clothes, but Macdonald recognised him and arrested the soldier-bailiff for ‘disrespectful conduct’. The infuriated Scotsman then challenged Major Caine to a duel.

Major-General D'Aguilar stepped in. He released the bailiff and arrested Macdonald. The general, who “abhorred duelling”, generously took into account “that high feeling which renders it worse than death to a British officer to submit to an unprovoked insult” and Macdonald received little more than a slap on the wrist for his outrageous behaviour.

He got off lightly. Major Caine was a deadly swordsman and a crack shot. Nineteen years earlier, during the storming of the Indian fort of Bhurtpore by the British, although wounded in the foot by grapeshot, Caine had led an attack on the almost impregnable city walls and killed three of the enemy in single combat.

Duelling has always been illegal in Hong Kong, so when Señor Checa, Hong Kong's Spanish consul, challenged Señor Torre Bueno, the ex-Peruvian consul of Macau, to a duel in 1872 over a gambling debt, it was fought on what was then still Chinese territory near Kowloon Walled City.

The rules of combat used were very different from those used in England. Instead of firing at the same time, a coin was tossed to determine who would fire first. Bueno won the toss and fired at his opponent from 25 paces. He missed!

It was now Checa's turn to fire. According to the rules of combat, Checa was allowed to advance three steps, to 22 paces. He fired and also missed! Bueno missed again at 19 paces and Checa at 16 paces. However, Bueno almost hit Checa at 13 paces.

“You see, gentlemen, that he intends to kill me!” exclaimed the infuriated Spaniard. “He is aiming at my head. I would gladly fire in the air, but I dare not, as he would shoot me like a dog from seven paces. So I will stop his pistol-practice in future.”

He then shot the Peruvian in the arm. And thus, honour was satisfied.

The two incompetent marksmen were charged in Hong Kong's Supreme Court with “having attempted to provoke each other to send a challenge to fight a duel.” They both pleaded guilty and were fined $200 each.