# 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-149

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
us whe are from the Sunny South. Now look over this way
and see these pumpkin seeds and watch how quickly they ar
sold, for they are a staple article ef food here. All
these are bartered for beads, buttons, er francs, fer the
meney ef the Cenge Independent State is of the same denom
ination as the French. Gold of any country is exchanged
readily and especially that of England, which is always
at a premium. ‘

New, es you have leoked at the food displayed, just
take a leok at some of the women. I know they will look
as edd to yeu as they did to me when I first saw them.

No dress like mamma wears, only a scanty piece of cleth
tied about the waist. A string of beads or buttons
around the neck, and another on the hair. Noe worry and
bother abeut the dresses being out of style. The latest
fasion has ne place in their minds. Ne new hats nor
pretty bonnets te buy, for none are worn. But I see you
lecking at their ankles! Are you wondering what these
great brass rings are? There, my dears, are their ideas
of beautiful ornaments. Think of it! Brass rings, each
weighing frem 5 te 10 lbs., and frem one to three worn en
each leg. These rings are put on when they are very
small children and worn all their lives. Often they
cause great sores for they are so heavy that they cut
inte the flesh. Are you not sorry for these peor crea-
tures whe knew ne better? And are you net thankful that
Ged has placed you in a land where suck customs are
unknewn?

We attempted to enter inte conversation with a number
eof these women, but many ef them only answered "mbate!
te our Kis-mbate, which means good merning. A few, in
answer to Mrs. Graham's invitation te come to her house
and here about Jesus, made answer that they did not want
Ged's palava, as they had a palava of their own. These
women, as a rule, are very timid and afraid of their
husbands, whe tell them net to listen to Ged's white men.

)

Net meeting with success here we thought we would try
and get them alone. And with this in mind we walked up
the rail read and got ahead ef them, but at the sound of
eur veices they ran like a fleck of frightened sheep.

It is difficult for one to do much for these peeple,
that is, in telling them ef our Saviour, until he or she
has mastered their language which is so different from ou
own.
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
tle creatures them, but now with a good home
and as happy as the day is long.
You, children, in your comfortable homes in America,
with loving fathers and mothers, good schools, fine churc
es and pleasant Sabbath Schools to attend, have no idea
of the life led by these poor little dark-skinned childre
I think your hearts would ache, as mine did one day
this week when I went with Mr. Graham to the market, and
saw many mothers with their little babes slung on their
sides or backs for that is the way these Congo women
carry their babies.
Let me tell you a little about this market. It is
very different from our markets at home. We went there
hoping that we would be able to induce some of the women
to come and attend the Bible Class held at Mrs. Graham's
every Sunday afternoon.
I shall try and give you some idea of this market.
When I say market, you see a building with a number of
stalls in it where are sold meats, fish, vegetables and
fruits. But there is no building here--simply a small
open space out on the Common. This space is fenced off
in sections. In these sections the women sit with their
wares displayed on the ground before them. What is this
queer looking food? You say. Well, that is a basket of
roasted worms, something like those that web up in the
trees; this is a basket of fresh roasted locusts and both
counted delicacies by the natives. Here some delicious
fine apples, there some sweet potatoes; there some red
peppers. These last two, of course, being well known to
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
We have a scheol here which holds four days in the
week. Mrs. Graham, Mrs. Wooding and I are the teachers.
We give instructions in scriptures, reading, writing,
arithmetic, and other things in general. We have from
30 to 50 pupils, and they are quick and orderly and
exceedingly studious. A let of better behaved children
in schoel, I never saw. Some of these children have made
remarkable progress intheir studies and are pleased beyonce
measure to be allowed to come to school.

We went out among the masters of some of these little
beys one day to try and induce more new ones to come te
school, and when we asked the fellows to come to
schoel, their eyes fairly glistened with delight.

This school is held in our new church. I must tell
yeu about this nice church fer we are all se proud of it.
But how many of you would call a grass heuse nice? In
this grass house, however, many earnest prayers go up to

the threne of grace for the conversion of the people of
this dark land.

Friday Feb. 18 1898

I went down & had a leok at my friends te see if all were
well, and found them se. After dinner, a Pertugees car-
penter whom I have been giving some medicine came up and
looked at my table and promised to make a let for it. I
teok one leg out and teek it down to him fer a pattern,
alas teok some medicine for him as he was complaining.
We had Mr. & Mrs. Graham, Mr. Cameron & Mr. Pinneck with
us this afternoon for tea. Tonight, we dined with Mr. &
Mrs. Weoding at 7 o'clock. Mr. Cameron was
</next_page_context>

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