# 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-140

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
Sunday Feb. 6 - 1898

A lovely merning this Lord's day. All well. Our Ged is
grecieus unte us. At the 10 e'cleck service this a.m.
there was a large congregation the sermon, in cong, was
preached by Mr. Graham. After the service we held a
cemmunien service, and 10 conge beys parteck ef the Lerd’
supper with the missionaries. There is no regular ergan-
ized church at this place, and these boys whe supped with
us at the Lerds table are members in ether places. All
the missionaries werk together beth in the Cenge & Eng-
lish services and we have good congregations and geed
attention. At the pem. service I was the preacher and
talked to an attentive let of ceast men whe speak English
The evening service was te have been at Mr. Weedings, but
he and his wife had gone out inte a town near by te spend
the day, so we had the service in Mr. Morgan's house. The
day passed eff very pleasantly and profitably te us at
least. We hed Mr. Morgan & Mr. Pinneck with us for sup=
per, and they seemed to enjoy the American style ef ceok-
ing very muche Mre. ©. has the name ef being an exceed-
ingly fine ceek. I think so tee.

Monday Feb. 7 - 1898

This a.m. looked somewhat gloomily, but after a while it
brightened up and we had a very pleasant day. Neither
tee het ner teo celd. A caravan came in and I leaded the
up with salt for our Lueba friends. Yeu may think by thi
that they cat lets of salt, but with them salt is the bes
article of commerce and they can get whatever they wish i
they have salt. The express came in but did not bring us
the desired mail. Our mail is very much behind this time
Yeu may imagine how anxieus we are to hear from heme and
friends. Now I say geod night and we hepe to be up in
the morning feeling bright and happy.

Tuesday Feb. & ~ 1898

When we arese this a.m. we found that 2 men had died on
the B.M.S. station ene was one of the workmen, and the
other was a man whe came late yesterday evening fer medi-
cone. He died however before there could anything be
gene. Two cerspses wrapped in a thick coarse cleth were
laid en the benches in the church this a.m. when we went
in to prayers. The prisoners of the state bury all the
natives who die. We had ae very impressive service in
Congo. Mr. Graham read, talked & prayed. Sometimes the
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
quash and one of the soldiers deliberately took it to
himself. The boy was one of Mr. Graham's boys so I went
at once to his relief and soon had the property restored
to its rightful owner.
Mr. & Mrs. Wooding went off this p.m. to one of the
neighboring towns to stay a day or two and preach the gos--
pel. Mr. Morgan is by himself and so will come & eat
supper with us tomorrow night. I shot an ox today and
tomorrow we will have some nice beef - shall I tell the
price of beef here - 35 cents per lb. any part steak,
roast or flank, soup bone or what not - all the same.
After supper we began reading the presbyterian standards
in connexion with the Confession of Faith & Catechism.
After our reading, Mr. & Mrs. Graham came over and stayed
a while. By the way, I am one third interested in a
nice little female donkey, and today she had a colt, but
it came premature and did not live ~ it is such a pity too
for such animals in this country are very valuable. In
America they can be bo't with a song and the purchaser
could sing it himself. The little Mexican Jacks &
Jennetts that the American people would not have - and
could be bo't & sold for $5⁰⁰ a piece, are worth here
from $50⁰⁰ to $100⁰⁰. However I managed to get mine or
least my interest in mine very cheaply. It seems that
more things has happened today than usual, or perhaps I
am more in a mood to go into details. Sophie and I are
both well, & we hope our parents & friends are also. Our
mails are behind. Good night. S & S Crowley
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
natives die like sheep that have the feet disease. They

are se filthy. The remainder of the day was uneventful.

Nothing but the ordinary reutine ef business. Good-night
School pregressing nicely.

Wednesday Feb. 9 - 1898

We are exceedingly anxious about the mails, for it is now
12 days or more past the time - we would like to hear fro
our friends and leved ones ~ but we must have patience an
wait. Anyone whe expects to live in Africa must learn te
wait. The day has been uneventful. I went to the market
te buy seme sweet potatoes and other things. You will
laugh when I tell you what I took with me te purchase the
with, well, I toek as money ~ 2 cards of common white but
tons, & 3 pints of salt. I purchased with these articles
& peck sweet potatees, 3 doz. limes or lemons, and three

nice bunches of fresh beans in the hull. Nothing else of
importance.

Thursday Feb. 11 - 1898

This asm. after breakfast it began to rain, and continued
until noon - a nice slow rain. Mrs. Graham is net very
well this morning - this p.m., though, she hepes te be at
school. Tomorrow our mails close for Eurepe & America so
we must be ready for them. Tonight, L.V., I will finish
abevt this day. When you read these notes you must alway
leok en the epposite of the paper for you might find seme.
thing of interest on them. You see, in order to save
space & stamps, we write a letter on the opposite side of
the sheets. Thus killing twe birds with ene stone.
Sophie and I are beth well, thank God.

Tenight
</next_page_context>

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