# 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-188

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
Tumba
Thursday Aug. 4 - 1898
Sophie kept school Monday & Tuesday - Wednesday they never
have school. Mrs. Wooding being away & we are in the

midst of packing we decided it better that she should not
teach anymore.

Friday Aug 5 - 1898

Today we have been packing, but the express brought us
some letters from home, & papers. Sophie had a letter
from Mrs. Carter & one from cousin Mary Douglass. Two
missionaries came in on their way home Miss Logie from
Dundee & Miss Cook from Eng.

Saturday Aug. 6 - 1898

Another busy day packing - I had a wagon made, that is a
2 wheel cart, wheel barrow wheels -- I do the work of
many men in the way of carrying loads &e. It cost nothing
practically. I1.sold my donkey today.

Sunday Aug 7 - 1898

Communion service Mr. Pinnock preached this a.m. I
preached this p.m. Mr. Morgan tonight - after service
this pem. Messers. Morgan, Pinnock & Crowley together wit
Mrs. Crowley, Misses Cook & Login took a walk to the
cemetery - about a mile or so away. Sohpie had not been
there before. We are to move Tuesday - we will eat with
Mr. Finnock tomorrow we hope to be in Kinschassea Tues.
night - B.V. good night both well Sophie & Stephen
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
phie to the market to-
day to give her another good look. We bo't some fine
pineapples & Bananas a quantity - costing about 5
cents enough to last a whole week.

After the regular work of the morning - and a little
rest after dinner Mr. Pinnock & I went out to get an
antelope, but we only came back with a pigeon each.
good night

A Big congregation of Congo boys at the 10 o'clock ser-
vice. Mr. Pinnock preached. Also a big congregation
at the 4 o'clock service. I was the preacher. I
talked about patience. This a.m. a trader Cremonini of
Congolia had a falling out with his man. He is very
impatient & that is what caused me to take that subject
I met him this p.m. & he had already begun to repent.
He told me some things & really, the very same thoughts
I had in my talk. I don't know how he got them for he
was not there and he had seen no one who was. Morgan
& we had a little prayer service tonight at our house.

Have been doing some packing today. We had a letter
from Mr. Gordon tonight telling us to come on. Nothing
more definite - only we are not to have the house we
expected, but another we will describe it when we get
there.

Another day of packing & marking. All the packing &
marking is not mine - individually - lots of it is for
the up river people.

Again packing - I went out tonight & had a visit with
the chief of the Road. I also asked the chef de garre
to let me have a wagon (car) to put all my goods on &
have it taken up with the express on Tues. next & he
consented.
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
Tumba
Monday Aug. & ~ 1898
Mr. Pinnock loaded up a wagon (car) for me this asm.
while I stayed at the house & packed - at noon the wagon
(car) was sent off to be at Kinschasa before us with our
goods. In the pom. I finished packing and made all ready
for leaving tomorrow morning. Mr. Pinnock invited us te
eat with him today so we did and we were thankful. We
put our trunks at the depot and had them weighed we slept
at Mr. P's in order to be ready to leave on the early
train in the a.m. Tuesday--

Kinschasa Tuesday Auge 9 - 1696 Kinshasa
Arose early - had our chicken all tied up ready for puttin
on the train - after breakfast went to the depot and put
all the things on that I could, but there was no room for
the bags - so I let them come on another train. We went
on however and arrived at Ndolo at 4 p.m. Mr. Keihl &
another dutch man came with us, so on arrival at N'dolo
the depot agt. said he would not take us down to Kinschasa
3 miles - so they went on. I waited awhile, however, and
finally the agt. consented to let Sophie & I ride down &
also to take our baggage - so we arrived at our destina-
tion about 5:30 p.m. in good season - we were met by Mr.
Gordon, and in a short time after we had supper. Mr.
Gordon happened to be at Leopoldville on business--and
came in just in time for supper. We are in a nice brick
house with brick fleor, not exactly the kind of a house
we would like but very good for present needs. Now we
go to sleep on a hard bed, for our spring mattress has
n
</next_page_context>

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