# Crowley diary faithful page transcription specification

You are transcribing one scanned physical page from a photocopy of a typewritten
transcription of J. S. Crowley's historical diaries. Produce PASS 1 only:
faithful transcription and document structure.

## Authority and scope

1. The attached current-page image is authoritative.
2. Current-page OCR is a fallible hypothesis. Correct OCR by consulting the image.
3. Neighbor context is only for detecting continuity. It must never supply text
   that is not visibly present on the current page.
4. Transcribe each visible source character as faithfully as the image allows.
   Preserve source spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, factual errors,
   incorrect dates, archaic or offensive terminology, and historical place names.
5. Do not improve, modernize, sanitize, silently correct, or complete the source.
6. Do not transcribe scan noise, binder holes, shadows, or page damage as text.
7. If no defensible reading is visible, use an `illegible` node. Never guess merely
   to avoid an uncertainty.

## Semantic structure first

Logical document blocks are the primary structure. Identify ordered headings,
standalone text, diary entries, letters, lists, tables/ledgers, annotations, gap
notices, separators, and non-textual graphical features. A diary entry or letter owns ordered semantic content
parts. Physical source lines are nested inside those blocks or parts only to
preserve diplomatic lineation, hyphenation, and evidence. Do not treat each
physical line as an independent document block.

Use a table only where columns or cell relationships are visibly meaningful. Use
a list for sequential items without a reliable column relationship. Do not infer
numeric values or repair arithmetic.

## Graphical and non-textual source features

A handwritten drawing, doodle, diagram, symbol, or other non-textual feature
that cannot meaningfully be transcribed as text must use a
`graphical_feature` block. Do not invent words for it. Record its medium,
placement, neutral observational description, page-image region when reasonably
identifiable, and related nearby block IDs when the relationship is visible.
Keep both continuation declarations `no`; graphical marks are not textual
cross-page continuations. A label that is itself readable text remains an
annotation block or part, with a related graphical-feature block for the
non-textual strokes. Descriptions must be observational, such as “Small
handwritten mark beneath the diary entry,” never speculative historical
interpretation. If a reliable bounding box cannot be supplied, use `region:
null`; do not guess coordinates.

## Physical source lines

Transcribe every visible physical text line in order. Divide each line into inline
segments only where an intervention or uncertainty requires it. Do not preserve
indentation with runs of spaces; semantic blocks, table cells, and list labels
represent layout.

For `line_end`:

- `block_end`: the logical text represented by this line collection ends here.
- `no_hyphen`: the text continues on another visible source line with no printed
  terminal hyphen; a reading renderer should join with a space.
- `hyphen_word_break`: a printed terminal hyphen exists only because a word wraps;
  omit the hyphen when joining the reading text.
- `hyphen_lexical`: a printed terminal hyphen is intentional and remains when the
  reading text is joined.
- `hyphen_uncertain`: a printed terminal hyphen is visible but its function cannot
  be determined confidently.

Do not put the terminal source hyphen itself inside the preceding text segment
when using one of the three hyphen line-end values.

Use a hyphen line-end value only when a terminal hyphen is visibly printed. Do
not add a line-end hyphen merely because a sentence, list item, or phrase
continues on the next physical line. Preserve internal source hyphens such as
`nice-pleasant` even when they appear unconventional.

## Inline distinctions

- `text`: clearly visible source text.
- `unclear`: a visible but uncertain reading. Give the best reading when possible
  and list genuinely plausible alternatives.
- `illegible`: text is present but no defensible reading can be supplied.
- `addition`: visibly added text, recording whether it is handwritten or
  typewritten and its placement.
- `deletion`: visibly cancelled text. Preserve a reading when still legible; do
  not include it in ordinary reading text. If the cancellation is visible but
  its underlying text is not defensibly readable, keep `type: deletion`, use a
  null reading, no invented alternatives, and `confidence: unreadable`.
- `correction`: an original and replacement are visibly related. Preserve both;
  do not decide that the replacement is historically true.

Confidence vocabulary:

- `high`: plainly legible with no plausible competing reading.
- `medium`: the proposed reading is likely, with a minor visual ambiguity.
- `low`: multiple readings remain plausible.
- `unreadable`: no defensible reading can be supplied.

Never invent decimal confidence scores.

## Dates and editorial interpretation

`date_source` is a literal faithful transcription of the visible heading.
`date_normalized` is separate editorial metadata:

- `normalized`: the visible date is unambiguous and only mechanical expansion or
  ISO formatting is needed.
- `inferred`: the normalized date intentionally differs from the visible source;
  supply a concise reason and qualitative confidence.
- `ambiguous`: competing normalized dates remain plausible; leave the normalized
  value null.
- `invalid`: the visible date is invalid and no responsible inference is made;
  leave the normalized value null.
- `not_normalized`: no normalization was attempted; all normalization metadata is
  null.

For both `normalized` and `inferred`, `date_normalized`,
`normalization_confidence`, and a non-empty `normalization_reason` are mandatory.
For `inferred`, the reason must state the visible conflict. If a year visibly
printed in an image conflicts with a historically plausible chronology, preserve
the printed year in `date_source` and the physical line. Put any chronology-based
alternative only in `date_normalized` with status `inferred`. Never copy an
inferred year back into faithful text.

Never alter the faithful line text to match the normalized date. Use editorial
notes for visible source mistakes, continuity questions, or consequential layout
ambiguity. Do not perform person/place identity resolution or any other PASS 2
historical interpretation.

For a `gap_notice`, represent each available range endpoint with the same complete
date object used by diary entries: `start_date` and `end_date`. Either endpoint may
be null only when it is genuinely unavailable. If the source gives `Nov. 28.` and
the year can responsibly be supplied from the range context, preserve
`date_source: "Nov. 28."`, put the year-bearing ISO value only in
`date_normalized`, use `normalization_status: "inferred"`, and explain the year
inference. Never label a context-supplied year as merely `normalized`.

## PoC regression rules and examples

- **Literal source date:** Never substitute a historically plausible date for
  the characters visible in a heading. Faithful line text and `date_source` must
  agree with the image. Any responsible alternative belongs only in separate
  `inferred` normalization metadata.
- **Intentional internal hyphen:** Preserve a visible form such as
  `nice-pleasant` exactly. It is not a line-break artifact and must not become
  `nice pleasant` or `nicepleasant`.
- **Incomplete-looking material without survival continuity:** A sentence or
  letter that looks incomplete does not automatically continue. If the next
  surviving page does not carry it forward, do not assert `to_next: "yes"` or
  duplicate an imagined continuation. Use `uncertain` only when the boundary
  evidence itself is genuinely unresolved and explain it in an editorial note.
- **Low-confidence handwriting:** When handwriting plausibly reads `Luebo` or
  `Lukbo`, use an `unclear` segment with low confidence and both alternatives (or
  a cautious best reading plus the competing alternative). Do not promote one to
  high-confidence text. If neither is defensible, use `illegible`.
- **Cross-page cancellation is not logical continuation:** A deletion stroke or
  cancellation region may continue onto the next page even when the underlying
  dated diary entry ends on the current page. Encode the deleted text within the
  closed entry and leave the entry's `to_next` as `no`; describe the continuing
  cancellation region in an editorial note rather than linking unrelated entries.
- **Small visible marks:** Preserve ditto marks, fractions such as `1/2` or `¼`,
  superscripts, punctuation, inserted characters, abbreviated notation, ticks,
  dashes, unusual ledger marks, and other meaningful small marks. Do not expand
  ditto marks, decimalize fractions, or silently omit marks merely because OCR
  missed them.

## Page boundaries and continuity

Set page-level boundary flags from visible evidence and limited neighbor context.
Each logical block separately declares whether it continues from the previous
page or to the next page. Independent page generation cannot know the future
block ID, so `continuation.previous` and `continuation.next` must always be null.
The deterministic reconciliation step will create reciprocal links only after
both adjacent pages have been processed. Never copy neighbor text onto this page.

## Mechanical output rules

- Return one JSON object matching the supplied schema and nothing else.
- Use the current page ID in every ID: blocks `pNNN-b001`, `pNNN-b002`, and so on;
  nested parts `pNNN-b001-p001`; notes `pNNN-n001`.
- Orders and source line numbers begin at 1 and are contiguous in visual order.
- For all block and part evidence objects, output exactly:
  `{"status":"not_attempted","method":null,"ocr_word_ids":[],"bbox":null,"matched_tokens":0,"total_tokens":0}`.
- Set editorial-note responsibility to `model`.
- A genuinely blank page has `page_role: "blank"`, no blocks, both boundary flags
  `no`, and no invented separator text.

## Run-specific evidence

CURRENT SOURCE PAGE: page-170

The attached image is the sole authority for text physically present on this page.

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
I could not positively say that more than one package
was missing. I had a nice case of peaches in syrup. I
suppose some one wanted some good fruit & stole the case.
I shall make reclamation. It was a big job but before 6
e'clock p.m. all was finished. I worked hard taking now.
& at night until quite late checking.

Tuesday May 17 - 1898

Yesterday Cremonini sent us a nice ham of real mutton &
to-day Mr. Silva sent us a beef's heart & nice piece of
meat - so we invited Mr. & Mrs. Wooding Messrs Morgan &
Pinnock over to dine with us at 7 e'clock. We hada
lovely dinner and all enjoyed it. Roast mutton & Roast
stuffed heart nice mutton soup mushrooms fried with
butter - Irish potatoes - whole tomatoes - cream pie-
cake & fruit salad composed of bananas sliced with nice
fresh pine-apple & jelly - winding up with good tea.
After dinner & until about 9 o'clock we had music, songs
&¢ - good-night We invited you all Father Mother Lilla
& Flo, but you would not come.

Wednesday May 16 ~ 1898

Today I had to rearrange all the loads to make room &
find eut exactly what loads were missing I had a heard
days work, but did it up brown. Mr. Wooding had the
Congo service tonight My friend Mr. Silva who had
pneuralgia for so many days & had been getting medicine
from the doctor, to no good ~ After my dose he has had
no more pain & feels happy & well. Good night.

Thursday May 19 ~ 1896

Nothing of importance happened today - the catholics had
a feast day “ascention Thursday + all business houses
closed in p.m. a great many went out for a little rec-
reation to a small town 2 hours away - I conducted the

prayer meeting tonight - nice little crowd of ebout 15
present.

Friday May 20 - 1898

This a.m. Sophie thought it was Mr. Pinnock's Birth-dey
so she made some nice chocolate creams for him - but we
found out it is tomorrow, so he sent us an invitation to
eat B.D..dinner with him tomorrow so we have accepted -
good-night - all well -
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
better - Nothing else of importance has
happened to-day. Good night. I might add that Messrs.
Pinnock & Morgan had no congregation at service tonight.

Last night I gave Mr. Silva a dose of Simmons Liver Reg-
ulator - some Ive had for several years. He has been
having pneuralgiva for several & today he is better - he
asked me what that medicine was - it worked a miricle.
Last night at bed-time I found another Portugees with
high fever & I dosed him up & now he is O.K. Mr. Silva
killed a nice kid today & sent us a ¼ it was very fine &
Sophie thought it was lamb & ate heartily. It was great
fun to see her enjoy it so. After all was finished I told
her it was goat - then she did not like it and asked me
why I did not tell her - for said she "You know I don't
like goat meat." Good-night.

Not an eventful day - all well- not much going on I
noticed on the R.R. track a car loaded with goods for
A.P.O.C.M. I will have plenty work Monday.

Mr. Wooding preached this a.m. Mr. Morgan in p.m. & I at
night - this has been a lovely day. Not to warm nor to
cold. very pleasant - all well- Good night

Very early this a.m. I loaded up a caravan of 15 men I
had my magazine put in order, for the car which I had to
unload had 324 loads on it. All was ready by noon. After
dinner when I went to unload, I found the seal broken & I
called the station master ("Chef de gare") & he told me
to go ahead and if there were any loads missing to notify
him. there were some mistakes in the way bill & therefore
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
Saturday May 21 - 1898

Today I received a few more loads from "Chemin de Fer du
Congo." My head man's time is out to-day and he will be
leaving in a few deys for his town. He has been with me
ene year his wife has been with him a little more than $
the time. I shall probably go to Stanley Fool next Tues-
day & be gone about a week as I can not get back sooner =
Sophie will keep house by herself & attend to business
while I'm gone. My head man Nkekuv will acompany me. Now
we shall retire - good night

Sahday May 22 - 1898

I forgot to mention that my man who has worked for me a
year had a hard time to understand that he had not been
here 13 months, but finally he was convinced. I forgot
also to mention that Mr. & Mrs. Wooding Mr. & Mrs. Crow-
ley & Mr. Morgan all had a most enjoyable time at Mr.
Pinneck's today at mid-day meal ~ continued

Sunday May 22 - 1898

I promised Stephen I would keep the journal while he was
away, and in starting it I find he has put Saturday's
record for Sunday so I will briefly say that on Sunday
May 22, he preached in the morning to the natives and in
the evening the service was at our home.

Monday May 23 - 1898

Very busy today, both of us, preparing for Stephen's
departure for Stanley Fool tomorrow, my work being in the
Culinary department, - I have made cakes, doughnuts and
rolls for his lunch, also to take up to some of Stephen's
friends who have to depend on native cooks, it is quite
a task to take a trip here for one has to teke so much
foo
</next_page_context>

Return only the JSON object required by the supplied output schema.
