# 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-262

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
ride fer heurs en the avenues - a herse and buggy would
@e nicely there - about 4 e'cleck we bade the. goed
gentleman geed bye and came back te “Ikoke." After
anchering we walked through the tewns te the statien
The state ig now in war with an eld unruly chief and
when he is captured or dies all will be well - and at
peace again.

"Ikeke™ Tuesday June 20 - 99

This a.m. after breakfast Mr. M°G & Mr. Clark wanted a
game ef crequet. I did net care te play but was urged
inte it. Mr. Glark and I beat. We are te ge heme
tomorrew - D.V. I beught a let ef curies some needles
&e - and 1@ baskets of eniens & 25 bars seap. I am te
pay fer the eniens in cash @ 4 frs. each er in cleth at
inveice price 1/6 ea. I have paid fer 5 baskets. I
still ewe fer 5 baskets & the seap - soap 80 centinfes
per bar ~ Sophie has decided to stay here fer 2 or 3
weeks ~ as it is change ef seasen & will be goed for
her health. I am te go home & attend te the bus. &
ceme & get her. Good-night.

"Pieneer® Wednesday June 21 ~ 99

This a.m. abeut 10 e'cleck we had everything on beard ang
ready to start. Mr. Glark & Miss Lince (Mr. M°F's sweet-
heart) get en beard & are going te Tchinbeir - Mr. Clark
is geing te settle up Mr. Glenesk's affairs. Mr. G.
died some months age. We bade Slphie & Mrs. Clark goed
bye with sad hearts & wet eyes - we left Mr. Murry of
C.B.M. te pretect them I will try & ceme back in 3
weeks. Mr. Clark will be back in less then 2. Tonight
we are camped where there quite a ne. ef mosquitees =
about 2 heurs abeve New Irebow - where Frank is settled
en French side.

*“Pieneer® Thursday June 22 ~ 99

Up Barly this a.m. Mr. Glark and I eccupy the same
cabin. We stepped at New Irebew - then we went down
a little farther and stepped at anether part of the
Same tewn. We saw 2 Dutch men with the side wheeler
Frederick ~ after stepping there a little while Mr. CG.
& Miss Lina walked dewn te a farther portien ef the
tewn I fellewed later - .an the way I saw the cerps
ef a woman whe had just died - the peeple had cembed
her hair and were wiping of the oil & peint - farther
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
lake - but Mr. MᶜG has agreed to stay a day longer
& we hope to go over Monday - & leave for the Pool on
Tuesday. Sophie made some doughnuts today & made one
in the shape of a nice little doll & wrote a little
poetry about it - and gave it to Mr. Morrey who pretends
that he does not like to be teased about young ladies-
but secretly he does - he enjoyed it very much - this
p.m. I played croquet - & after supper I played Bag-a-tel

"[Ikoko?]" Sunday June 18 - 99Today after our morning prayer
&c I went to the service - a large congregation - Men
women & children some clothed and in their right minds
and others with such a small amount of covering that it
would be hard to tell whether they had any clothes on or
not - at night there was a service and after a native
boy talked I said a few words through an interpreter-
sentence by sentence. After this service there was
communion service & Mr. Clark was the leader - there
were 15 of us in all 8 natives and 7 missionaries.

"[Ikoko?]" Monday June 19 - 99
We are not to go until Tuesday. Mr. MᶜGregor gave us
all an outing over across the lake to Bekoro today.
We had dinner on the boat and hoped to have Mr. Stien-
beck dine with us but he would not so we went up and had
coffee with him after dinner After which we started out
for a walk in the plantation. He has 200,000 coffee
plants on the plantation some bearing and others just
planted. He is still increasing his plantation. I got
an old bicycle and had a ride over the place - You can
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
en the Pioneer caught up with us & we get in the canee
& went en beard - about 4 p.m. we arrived at the Dutch
trading heuse at "Bunga" en French side. Mr. Vanden-
berge was there. Mr. M°G. bought some eil & then we
went dewn to the S.A.B. Place = there we met a black-
bearded man wearing spectacles - the chief ef factery -
5 Germans were there with him waiting fer a beat to go
te Ger. Cameroons threugh Fch. ter. threugh Sanga river.
Mr. Henry was the name of the chief agent. We left about
5 ecleck & camped near a sand bank where the mesquitees
were numereuse

*Pioneer” Friday June 23 = 99

It rained during the night - eur eniens got wet + the
rain continued during the early part ef the day. About
10 e'cleck a.m. we stepped at a tewn Nkunda where Mr.
M°G. bought a large Canoe en his veyage up, a few fowls
& some Hippe tusks were bought there. We came dewn

the river and just befere reaching the tewn where we
intended te stop, we ran aground, but seen get off &
all was right. Mesquitees there but not se numbereus
good-night

“Pieneer™ Saturday June 24 - 99

Up and away early this a.m. We ran dewn & get te Bolebo
where we met Mr. Grenfell ~ en the bank waiting fer us -
Mr. Hewell & Mrs Clark came down later - it was 7:30.
Mr. Clark & Lina had breakfast with Mr. & Mrs. Clark

ef Belebe. Mr. M°G. & I had breakfast with Mr. & Mrs.
Hewell. The peace was put inte the river, having just
had new engines. The Geedwill will be put en the slip
this pom. The peace made a trial. we left she
</next_page_context>

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