Original: Launched in 1764 as the collier Earl of Pembroke, she was purchased by the Navy in 1768 for a scientific mission to the Pacific Ocean, and to explore the seas for the surmised Terra Australis Incognita or "unknown southern land".
Simplified: Launched in 1764 as a coal carrying ship Earl of Pembroke, she was bought by the Navy in 1768 for a scientific mission to the Pacific Ocean. She was also to search for the unknown southern land, Terra Australis Incognita.