beeal

We had lived almost three years at Port Jackson (for more than half of which period natives had resided with us) before we knew that the word 'beeal', signified 'no', and not 'good', in which latter sense we had always used it without suspecting that we were wrong; and even without being corrected by those with whom we talked daily.

A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson Watkin Tench 1796

'beeal', which we translated and adopted for 'good'; whereas he meant no more than simply to deny our inference, and say 'no' -- it is not bad.

A Complete Account of the Settlement at Port Jackson Watkin Tench 1796