HONG KONG governors tend to name their pets after alcoholic beverages and their boats after their wives. Sir Alexander Grantham, who governed Hong Kong in the early post-war era, had two cats called Gin and Bitters. He christened his official yacht the Lady Maurine after his diminutive American spouse. The exception to this rule was Sir Richard Graves Macdonnell. He called his dog Chow and his boat Preposterous. Chow was a Chow Chow. The Preposterous was a Junk. Macdonnell was a grim Irish autocrat, who believed that flogging and branding criminals was the best deterrent against crime. By substituting the rattan cane for the cat-o'-nine-tails he more or less solved the crime wave. Governor Chris Patten's Norfolk terriers are called Whiskey and Soda. This time last year there was great drama when Soda went walkabout in Aberdeen Country Park. Soda was missing for some days.

Fortunately the little mutt was soon found, in spite of a nasty rumour spread by the Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Gareth Evans, speculating that Soda might already have been served up as hors d'oeuvres for Mr Deng Xiaoping. This rather tastelessremark raised a storm of righteous protest in the Australian parliament. The second week in November seems to be an inauspicious time for canines. Macdonnell's dog Chow was killed at Happy Valley race course 124 years ago this week. Macdonnell was not a popular governor and the horrid deed was thought to be an act of revenge by a person or persons unknown. Chow was interred in the Botanical Gardens beneath an enormous granite slab on which were inscribed the deathless words: ''In memory of Chow, buried here, a faithful, brave and affectionate friend cruelly killed on Hong Kong race course 10th November 1869, this monument has been erected by Sir Richard Graves Macdonnell, C.B. and K.C.M.G.''