essentially, it involved a band of black men—generally young—who dressed themselves in ornate and often bizarre costumes. each band was led by a man who was variously dressed in animal horns, elaborate rags, female disguise, whiteface (and wearing a gentleman's wig!), or simply his "sunday-go-to-meeting-suit." accompanied by music, the band marched along the roads from plantation to plantation, town to town, accosting whites along the way and sometimes even entering their houses. in the process the men performed elaborate and (to white observers) grotesque dances that were probably of african origin. and in return for this performance they always demanded money (the leader generally carried "a small bowl or tin cup" for this purpose), though whiskey was an acceptable substitute.