According to his memoirs (edited by Boz - Charles Dickesn), the famous clown was appearing in Newcastle in 1818, when the glowing description by the manager induced him to see a coal mine. He did not stay long in the pit, however. He went down two or three hundred feet in a basket and was met by a guide at the bottom of the shaft. They had not gone far when a huge lump of coal fell down with a crash on the spot they had just passed. 'Hollo!' exclaimed Grimaldi, greatly terrified. 'What's that?' 'Hech!' said the guide. 'It's only a wee bit of coal fallen down: we ha'e that two or three times a day.' 'Have you?' replied Grimaldi, running back to the shaft. 'Then I'll thank you to ring for my basket, or call out for it, for I'll stop here no longer.' The basket was lowered, and he ascended to the light without delay, having no wish whatever to take his chance again among the 'wee bits of coal.'