Letter to Benj. D. Fleet, Esq.

Dear Sir:We respectfully acknowledge your esteemed favor for last Eastern State Steamer and ___ Contents, and in reply we tender you our wamest thanks for disposing of our Beer. We trust if you have any unsold of the Beer to sell it immediately and send back our kegs. Dear Sir you perfectly amazed us by your statement as regards the Brandy beer not suitable article to be introduced into your market. We did think something of that kind ourselves and to be candit with you at the time we shipped you that Brandy it was talked about that Yankee Brandy would suit you for the best but concluded we had none nor never had if you ___ that Brandy not genuine and good. We are certainly greatly mistaken in taking you as person of judgment by knowing good brandy from bad. Wonders will never cease. However, Mr. Fleet, the Brandy is the Best brandy that ever was sold in North America. There is no use to say to the contrary. Notwithstanding we could get more money for it now we sold all we had for higher price than we charge you. We think there something radically wrong about stating that the Brandy was not good. If you are only hoaxing us we do not thing much of such hoaxing as that.Meanwhile we remain Dear Sir Yours very truly Keith & McLean.Notes:Keith & McLean appear as Halifax brewers in a directory for 1866. Can't tie them in with Alexander Keith's, despite name similarity.Eastern State was an American merchant steamer 1851-71 operating between Halifax, Yarmouth and Boston.Online sources suggest a Benjamin D. Fleet lived in Yarmouth, NS.