# 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-285

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
has premised to sit up & watch & nurse - Mr. & Mra.
Gerden are with us in order te have a change for the
baby whe is not well. We hope the change will de her
goed, but she cries a1] the time nearly.

Friday Sept. 29 - 99

| Mr. Gerdeon did net sit up leng last night, se he said as
he thought Mr. Weollings was getting on nicely & left
him in charge of my man Nkaku whe is quite intelligent
& speaks English quite well, but his fever is still up
& a little higher 104°, Se Mr. G. prepesed we put pa-
tient in a bath - we did se & it was refreshing & temp.
came dewn ene degree & patient felt much better, teok a
shert sleep. I stayed with him all day - gave the
necessary things, and all seemed te ge well.

Saturday Sept. 30 ~ 99

I sat up last night & Mr. W. seemed to get werse -
preached sermons & won many ever to Christ. Be't the
Cenge Ind State & was werth 6 million Peunds in a few
heurs. - Abeut 2 e'cleck he became worse & I sent fer
Gerden - we both were with him all night - this a.m.
very early I called for the Dr. but he had gone away
se I hunted up anether whe came & did all he ceuld ~
he was double interested for he was a friend alse ef
Mr. W's. But he said the patients bleed was tee weak
te support the bedy and he could net survive leng - 2
days at mest, se he came again in the pem. and saw that
his prediction was true & about 6 e'cleck and 10
minutes he passed away. Mr. Gordon went te Kinshasa
early this aom. & left me alene all day. Yesterday
he said he wanted to die he felt se happy = no ache,
ne pain nething hurting enly he was se het - & restless.
After his death I went home & while eating supper I
breke the news te Mrs. Crowley & Mrs. Gerden. After
supper Gerden & I dressed him & laid him out, and had
some men make a ceffin. I sent some men te Kinshasa
fer six beards which I had there as there were nene en
the place leng enough. I left 2 beys te sit & watch,
I being so tired out I went te sleep.

Sunday Oct. 19* 1899

This a.m. early 1 went to have a leek at the corpse &
it was in nice condition - when the coffin was ready
we put it into it & clesed ite At ten e'cleck we had a
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
ing there was to do both for him &
myself. I stayed with him until about 11 o'clock p.m.
Came home & retired - set my alarm for 3 o'clock so as
to awake & run down & see him.

Tuesday Sept. 26 - 99
At 3 o'clock this a.m. I went down to see him & found
his temperature about the same - otherwise doing nicely
no pain Haematuria still on. I stayed with him until
5 o'clock, then went out to give the boys work &c After
breakfast I went in again & spent the whole day, except
what time I was out to telephone for the Doctor. About
3 p.m. the Doctor came Dr. Villa, Italian Consul - & he
pronounced him very well - only very weak - and advised
him as soon as he became able to travel to go to the
beach - I was with him all the time and at 11 o'clock
p.m. his temp kept about the same 103°.

Wednesday Sept. 27 - 99 Leopoldville
I stayed with Mr. Woolling all night, this a.m. his urine
was quite clear. Haematuria gone. I thought he was
getting on nicely & he felt quite well only hot with
fever. In the afternoon I saw that he was much weaker,
but I, & he, thought it was owing to the Haematuria
passing off. I made arrangments to have the bed made &
then I lefted carefully. This p.m. late Mr. & Mrs.
Gordon & baby came over. Mr. Gordon called in and
thought he was getting on nicely. I stayed with Mr. W.
again this night.

Thursday Sept 28 - 99
This morning Mr. Gordon came in and talked with Mr.
Woolling a little and then went to Kinshasa I kept
watch all day and tonight am very tired. Mr. Gordon
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
service in the heuse, Mr. Gerdon officiating. We then
remeved it te the cemetery - carried en the shoulders
ef 6 strong seldiers with the Eng. Flag en the coffin.
About 50 white men & as many celered follewed the
cerpes to the grave where the service was concluded.
The day was very het, and on our way back Gorden & I
stopped in the judges office te sign the death recerd —
the Judge asked for the papers - but I told him he made
a will so that Ended those matters. I then went te the
S.A.P.V. to find out about a steamer that I had had
notice ef as going to the Kassai & en which I had been
promised 50 leads. I should have had them on the beach
Saturday, but I could net leave Mr. W. so this p.m. I
had to get them out & load them on steamer ~ the Gordons
are with us still - S.S.-Charles Gratry

Menday Oct. 2 + 99 Leopeldville

This morning I started out with Gordon to have a little
leek around, but the sun seemed so het & I had headache

I did net go but stayed in the house most of the day.

At night when it came time te retire I] took my tempera-
ture & found I had fever. I took the necessary medicines
& went to sleep.

Tuesday Oct. 3 = 99

This a.m. the fever had left me but Sephie would not
let me get upe Mr. & Mrs. Gordon & baby left this a.m.
the baby seemed much better. I had to lie in bed all
day. I had a telegram stating that M. Black of C.B.M.
would be up today ~ he came. He ate supper with us. I

got up for a little while tonight to rest before going
te sleep.

Wednesday
</next_page_context>

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