On December 12, 1803, William Clark and several recruits arrived at the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. While Meriwether Lewis gathered information and supplies at Cahokia and St. Louis, Clark and the men constructed Camp River Dubois. They spent the next five months preparing for their expedition. Here they practiced hunting and survival skills, performed military drills, prepared their boats and packed their provisions. They departed Camp River Dubois on May 14, 1804, and did not return until September 23, 1806.