# 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-032

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
thet when only a baby of a few months I crossed the
Atlantic, and here I am now in the middle of my life

if I should be permitted by the Almighty to live as long
again as I have lived - and on the great Ocean. And to
me the Gulf of Guinea about three degrees north (3°) of
the Equator, and two (2°) degrees east of the Meridian
of Greenwich. It is a bright & beautiful day and every-
thing is very quiet, comparatively, on board. In our
little prayer meeting last night we prayed that the
people on board might be more considerate, and the Lord
heard our prayer for the day passed off very nicely.
Nothing of importencs during the day exeept in the
morning the 18t & 20° uates were working with the native,
whom they were taking down to work on the R. Re They
were divided one lot on each side of the ship & were
counted and instead of veing (200) two hundred, were
(77) seventy-seven. ‘You should have seen the 2°¢ wate
ealling the roll. He is a Gemaen & cannot talk much
English but he called the names in English, in such
broken Eng. that about 1/2 the no. could not understand,
and then he would burst out in ea storm of passionate
words, not sweet. I think he went through this perform-
ance about 4 times, and finally succeeded in getting the
names to correspond to the men. About (7) seven o'elock
Ppem.e @ canon was fired off and a large red blaze was
left on the water which we could see for some distance
after we had passed. After supper I went around to the
sailors department. All Germans, and there they hed a
Xmas tree. A small tree whitted out of wood with limbs
and cotton stuck on the upper side of the branches to
make it look like snow. Little cakes were hung on it,
and in the absence of real oranges, apples, Bananas &
were some made of tin foil. On each limb wag one or more
pieces of candle and when all were lighted it looked very
pretty. I told them a little story of the birth of the
Savior &@ and spent about 15 minutes very pleasantly with
them. They also had a piece of steel made into a triangle
and one fellow Jingled that and made a merry chime
keeping time with an accordian and a drum - the latter
being made ‘by themselves. I then went back to my state
room and found the other boys gathered there for prayers
so I joined them. Now I will say good night.
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
ed here about a mile from the town a cannon was
fired off and in a short time a colored Dr. came over
and did some bus. with the Captain and some of the men
with the 1st officer went on shore - only about 4 however
as the rest of us had no inclinations to go - the dis-
tance in the hot sun seemed too far. After a while the
natives began to get on board with big boxes of tools,
for most of them were workmen who are going to the Congo
to work on the R. R. The number that we were to take on
here was two hundred but I don't think that there were
more than fifty. And such monkeyshines as they did out-
sometimes fighting - they seemed to be afraid of getting
on board without their boxes, being afraid they might
not get on unless each one tied the rope around his own
particular box himself. However after a long time all
were on board about 5 o'clock and then we were off again.
We did not have a funeral to day as I thought we should-
but the captain and officers and even the passengers
treated it as a light thing. You ask what? You see at
Las Palmas we took on about 15 bulls and some sheep and
goats in order that we would have meat enough for all
hands - and last night one of the bulls died.
Now we have just had prayers and after a little rest
on deck and a pleasant chat in the moonshine I will
retire.

Dec. 25 - Friday
Very strange indeed it seems to be on board a Steam ship
to spend Xmas. I had never had a of ever spending my
"thirty-fourth" birthday on the Atlantie Ocean. I'm told
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
Dec. 26 ~ Saturday

Another bright morning. Xwsas is over and now we are
nearing the Equator. One fellow proposed that we take

a photograph of ite. The Quartermaster is now going

with a list of names in his hand. I think those who
have never passed the Equator. It is the custom to
baptise all who pass that great belt in honor of Neptune,
so I guess I om in for a wetting. About 11 o'elock we
passed the Equator and the 15* mate had the tank (a tank
made of the ship's canvas sails) ready and at 2 o'elock
the time appointed for the service, the Bell was rung
and @ shot from the eannon was fired and out came the
sailors with an accordian, steel triangle & the drum

and they were all painted in the most hideous ways all
bear~footed and feet & legs painted nearly to the knees.
After playing a tune one fellow with blue spectakles took
a triangular piece of wood with something like a boot

on the dash board of a buggy to hold. the whip and through
this he looked and made as though he was getting the
Equator and when he had looked long enough, he pronounced
good then there was one who read 5 or 6 verses of poetry
in German and then the performance began. Some one's
name would be called out and he would go to the place

" prepared climb up on a little stepladder sit on the

edge of the tank with his back toward the water then 2
men one with comb & seissors (wooden) another with razor
brush & lather = razor, wood - brush, big paint brush -
lather, very dirty and such a daubing mess as
</next_page_context>

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