# 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-280

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
the Portugese Pest in Thursday night and se they will net
leave until Friday. They went over te Kinshasa te Mr.
Gerden's tonight in a small boat - the men paddling ~ the
will stay all night. The mail came in & we will get
letters tomorrow.

Thursday Sept. 7 - 99

Nothing of interest except that I get the papers ready
for MacGreger to geo eff as seen as he gets his mail. The
Ville d8Anvers came in - I went down te the beach expect-
ing to get some mats but they were net en board.

Friday Sept. 8 + 99

Yes our letters came early ~ later in the day the papers
came ~ abeut 1:30 Mac went away. I took my wheel on
beard & went te Kinshasa. I let him have a little cart
Ihad. I came back juet at dark on my wheel one of my
boys ran behind me all the way & kept up with me - Quite
a nice read te Kinshasa we had a letter from Kother
Wright and one frem sis Fle. Goed night.

Saturday Sept. 9 - 99

This am. I went te S.A.P.V. te see about getting some
beeds. for Luebo - but the men was away. I then went to
the State, saw the Commissaire about getting seme leads
en the next steamer. I have the promise ef 25. I alse
have the promise, if pessible, of sending the boiler ef
Pioneer up en a state boat if it is pessible for them te
carry it. Came heme - boys had the yard swept up &
ready fer dinner. After dinner I sent thea for Quanga
but enly got $ enough I then gave them their weekly
ratiena - about 5 ocleck I again went to see the man to
buy some beads - but he was not there I saw him hewever,
but he was not at a place te talk business. So I said
nothing about it - will call en him Monday D.V..

Sunday Sept. 10 - 1899

Nkaku & I had the service this a.m. as Mr. Weoling is
still away. JI had the Eng. service this pom. & there was
a better congregation than on last Sunday. Sephie led
the singing. I had a call from ene of the capts. of the
State, Cap. Lindstrem whom I cressed the ecean with. I
forget te mention that en Thursday night I went up te
the depot & found 35 men without a place to sleep se I
furnished them s heuse, and new they are at the station
waiting fer a boat - ene is a Mr. Harmass formerly ef
Luebo, the ether aM. Debaker. Geod night all well -
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
akfast Sophie had hers in
bed on account of the early hour. I rode to Kinshasa to
see how Mr. Gordon is - I got back at 10:30 this a.m.
This p.m. I had the Eng. service. Sophie was out & led
the singing. I had Nkaku take service this a.m. & S.S.
this p.m. so as to let Sophie come to church. The boys
have just gone out. I have given medicine - & a new boy
who has had some palava - got burned & I fixed him up, so
now I will say good-night - all well.

A wagon load of goods came in for the C.B.M. Saturday but
it is not unloaded yet as the Co. has not taken it to the
proper swich. As Mr. Woolings is away, I am attending to
all the transport. I went down to the state place today
had a general look around - have McGregor's men cutting
wood - so they will have a good quantity for him when he
comes - expect him tomorrow.

Am busy looking after everything about the place - seeing
that Macs. men get wood & keep the boat bailed out - as
the water comes in rapidly. Yes, here they are, as black
as Negroes - came up 2ⁿᵈ class on top of a coal wagon with
a lot of natives - sinders & dust from the engine beating
against them. I had just unloaded the truck for them with
83 loads - they brought in 10 loads with them. I will not
put the goods in the magazine as they will put them on
board tomorrow - they hope to leave Thursday.

Today the loads were put on board - & all that they could
not carry were put in the magazine. We went over to the
P.O. and got all the mail for their mission. We expect
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
Menday Sept. 11 - 1899

Ville d'Anvers on slip. I went to see Commissaire and
asked fer leads. He promised 25 on Ville de Bruxelles.

I am in hepes he will let me have seme en V d'An. however
when she comes eff the slip. The Dr. & Judge came ever
this p.m. & had tea - after which we had a geme of tinis
I beat ~ that is, I beat each ef thea. I have my table
all spread out with papers & doing up a statement fer
Bre. Merrisen se that he can make up his repert. New
I'll say geed-night.

1899 Leepeldville
oy butegule- ree

I wi all day with my beeks and papers. The
SS. Geed Will came in te Kinshasa teday. Mr. & Mrs.
Howell en beard. They will leave Thursday morning
Nething of interest has taken place.

Wednesday Sept. 13 - 99

I sent for Kwanga today but received none so the State
was shert for the peeple ef its own. After dinner I went
ever to Kinshasa on my wheel in order to see if I could
get some beads fer the brethren at Luebe I found nene -
none at S.A.P.V.; S.A.B.; Belgika ner Dutch House «
neither at the French House - I had tea at Gordons - saw
Mr. & Mrs. Hewell - arrived heme just at dark - be't

seme cigars:fer Mr. Howell & sent him a mat. good night -

Thursday Sept. 14 ~ 99

I sent a bey over te the boat very early this a.m. with a
letter for Mr. Morgan. Later I sent boys ever te Mr.
Gerdons for Kwanga, as he had a quantity. I ree'd 50
which will de a little more than 2 days. I am still at
werk en accounts. geednight

Friday Sept. 15 - 99

I had notice today that Vill
</next_page_context>

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