When the time arrived for the storming, both parties seemed determined on victory or death. The attack began very slowly in the evening, and the Turk had made the following arrangement of his forces:--Siglardy[170], captain-general of Turkey, was posted, with twenty thousand men, at the gate of Pucchi, where was the heat of the battle: Sangombassa, with about a third of the army, was posted at the gate St Romain, about a mile distant from Pucchi. Ebbigabeth, governor-general of Greece, was placed on the side of Galigaria[171], near to the emperor's palace. The greater part of the mines were two miles distant from St Romain. The renegade Albanian, Sangombassa, was posted on the other side of the canal near to Pera, with other renegade Christians; for, in these countries, many daily recant from their religion. At the commencement of the attack, the Christians defended themselves well, particularly at St Romain, which was the weakest part of the walls; for lately good part had been damaged, and even thrown down. The heavy cannon and the culverins kept up so brisk a fire that breaches were made of many fathoms wide in several places; and the firing was so incessant that the sky could scarcely be seen for the thickness of the smoke. The besieged instantly repaired the breaches with old casks and bags of earth, and defended themselves as well as they could. At this spot was sir John Justinian, who behaved with great courage: indeed, the whole city placed their dependance on his abilities. As a last effort, the grand Turk now advanced thither in person, with two banners and ten thousand chosen men for his guard, beside an infinity of Turks, with scaling ladders, moveable wooden castles, and other engines. The attack was become very bloody: the ditches were filled, and the walls scaled. At this critical moment was sir John Justinian wounded by a ball from a culverin, and carried off to be dressed, after he had resigned his command to two genoese gentlemen. The Turks pursued their success,--and the Christians, seeing themselves overpowered, and that sir John Justinian had quitted his command, which they mistook for his having fled, abandoned the walls, and ran away. Thus did the Turks enter Constantinople, the 28th day of May, in the year aforesaid, putting all to the sword who made any resistance[172]. No attack was made on Pera, for the greater part of the inhabitants were in Constantinople assisting in its defence. Those who had remained did not attempt to carry away any of their effects, but deliberated to send the keys of their town to the Turk, and offer him the city, in which were six thousand men, and throw themselves on the mercy of God. A good many of both sexes, however, embarked on board a genoese vessel to escape, and one ship laden with women was seized by the Turks.