174 KKAXIXEI'LJiM. — GRLMAUD. 



destroyed St. Tropez. Thev thus commanded both the 

 range and an approacli to the sea. The fastness which 

 the\- built was called "Fraxinetum", "and this name was 

 later on applied to all similar Moorish fortresses. Here 

 the\" piled up their stolen treasures before shipping them 

 across the sea to Africa. William I, Count of Aries, 

 with the help of two l''ro\'encal noblemen, Ravon and 

 Grimaldi, took the castle b^■ storm in ''73. AH the 

 Moors who escaped the s\vord \\'crc made slaves, together 

 with the women and children. The fastness was razed 

 and onh" the ruins of a few walls, now covered with 

 Iv^^ and a deep cistern cut out of the rock, indicate 

 u'here it once stood. 



As a reward for his bra^■er^■ and in recompense for 

 his services Grimaldi recei\'ed from William I all the 

 lands which the Moors had held near the Sinus Sam- 

 bracitanus. The ruined castle of (jrimaud still rises heaven- 

 wards on the mountain which commands the mouth of 

 the valle\ . It is a relic of those da\ s. Two towers on 

 the steep slope, joined h\ crumbling walls, appear to 

 hang over the precipice: the rest of the fortress is dcstroA- 

 ed. ISut below it, although depri\ed of its protection, 

 the little village of (jrimaud still clings to the rocks, 

 framed m luxuriant green. 



Eastward from La P'oux the Chemin de fer du Sud 

 follows all the indentations of the coast. Xow it hurries 

 to\\ards the sea, and St. Tropez on the opposite coast 

 seems to come nearer and nearer; then it turns landwards 

 again and hugs the Maures range. Soon vStc. Maxime 

 is reached — the place to which (ju\ de \hmpassant 



