An Amazon.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume xxii, Issue 6457, 29 December 1904, Page 2

An Amazon.

TheSfc Petersburg "Neva" publishes au interview which its war correspondent has had at Mukden with a woman who is serving in the Rusaian Army uader the mas-~ culine name of \tichael Nioholaievitch. " His " real name ia HeJem Smolko. Mdlle Smolko's taste 3 have alwasy been/deoidely masculine. At eight she could ride and shoot. At eighteen she entered the service of the Frontier Guard's General Staff as an interpreter. Daring the war with Cbina she was attached to the ambulance,, but with her knowledge of languages and her, active nature she ■yearned 1 for more gxei^'ing occupation. 'When the present war broke out she secured an appointment as interpreter with a sotnia of Cqssacks, an 4 was employed in scouting work between. Livo-yang and Knandiansian. In dua course she was presented to General Sennenkampf^ whp enrolled her in hia division as a volunteer without pay. Since theu, she has worn the uniform of the Cossacks, and has taljen part in several engagements, She is a tireless horsewoman, thinking nothing of riding eighty verstsat a stretch, and band>s-both the rifle anb the sword At present Mile SmolkoiSin the Eastern cn-p.*. She was specially detaU«] for servi c with this corps by Kuropaf.'; iv. Onty one or two offloera know that she h a wo;iian, for she dresses in ordinary uniform,