# 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-028

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

<current_page_ocr status="non_authoritative_hypothesis">
read to my great satisfaction a sermon written by Dr.
Lupton. While I was reading, I saw him in the pulpit
and I sat in the pew & listened very attentively. The
afternoon passed away, and nothing done but I put in
the day very pleasantly reading some more sermons. Now
we are going to my room to have prayers. While we are
praying I hope our friends in America will be praying
for use A very nice little meeting 4 in noe Now I go
to retire but find everything in our stateroom piled on
the upper berth ~ Morrisons. I quietly take them off
and put them in their respective places and say nothing
to M about for he is so easy to take exceptions, at
times. You see the Belgians, our fellow passengers, are
having a little innocent fun, they think, at our expense.
And I suppose as they are cut off from the wild life
they have at home they feel as though they must do some-
thing mischievous. I get serenaded twice and the 2”
time I encore, to let them know I enjoyed it? No, but
to pretend so, and as it did not worry me they stopped &
I had a good nights rest the remainder of the night.

Dec. 21 ~ Monday

I got up feeling dreadfully bad and while I was dressing
I heard a pattering of drops of water on deek & looking
out I saw it was raining real hard - the first real hard
rain I've seen since I left N. York City - or at least
Croton Lake, the day that Cousin Nellie & I went out to
see Brother Me. About 12 o'cloek, N. I came to the little
town of Monrovia in Liberia on the west coast of Africa.
But some time before we got there, say 8 o'clock, we saw
the top of Cape Mount not far off. And after passing
that, we saw the coast, with its trees all the way to
Monrovia. We did not go to the town for the Captain
would not permit. We anehored about s mile away - and
just as we anchored we shot off a cannon a signal to let
them know we were ready and immediately quite a number
of canoes came to the ship bearing nearly one hundred
black men. An officer, with the name of each who was to
make the remainder of the trip with us got on board and
although he was black he spoke good English. I thought
I had seen an American Negro but he said he was born
here. Now these men of whom I spoke as going to make
the remainder of the trip with us, are forty in number.
They are going as deck hands - roust-abouts we would
</current_page_ocr>

<previous_page_context kind="validated_structured_tail" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
at consolation, I can be with Jesus.
It is a lovely morning and as I look over the great
expanse of water and see how quiet it is, I thank God
for giving us such a nice sailing. While I sit here
waiting for breakfast, I see a Steamship pass, but it
is so far away I cannot tell to what line she belongs.
I can only tell that she is painted white and with a
red smokestack.
The day passes off very rapidly for I am looking
over my invoices and posting up my cash account. Then
I look over my list of medicines so that when I open
the box I will be able to be familiar with them. I
have put in the day in various ways. It is now after
supper and the sky is without a cloud. The moon with
her bright and smiling face sheds her silvery light
over the Dark Continent, where it seems to me that she
now is situated directly over the center. You see our
ship is not more than fifty miles from shore and we are
opposite the great desert. Now we are going to have
prayers. Just after p's and a very nice meeting. Now
good-night - but the Belgians are making such a noise--
drinking, singing, shouting &c that I think it will be
sometime be4 I will get to sleep.

Dec. 20 - Sunday
A most beautiful morning, but very hot. The sun shines
very brightly. Our Belgian friends have commenced their
drinking already and from what I see now, we are to have
a day of jubilee. Dinnertime has come and we did not
get together this a.m. to have a prayer meeting. I am
sorry we missed it, but I had my private devotions and
</previous_page_context>

<next_page_context kind="raw_ocr_head" status="continuity_only_non_authoritative">
eall them and are going to unload & reload again at
Matadi, the terminus of our destination and are coming
again as far as Monrovia where they will stop. I tho't
the Belgians were a Jabbering set, and then the Span-
iards at Las Palmas, but the Native Negroes here are
just as bade I have never seen yet, any people as
quiet as the Americans and Englishes While we lay here
some of the natives have pineapples, bananas, plantains,
& manioe roots to sell. Everything is quiet now and
the captain has blown the whistle so I guess we shall
soon start. Yes, we have started it is now 5 o'clock.
Just a little before starting, then came on board a
native and his wife on their way to Stanley Fool. He
used to live at the Pool and took a wife (as he says)
there, but it seems that she did not like him and he
went back to his own people at Monrovia, or near there,
and took another who had been promised him from her
babyhood. Her dress consists of a piece of eloth about
a yard, I should say, of calico around her waist, coming
about to her kneew, the rest of her body both above and
below is naked. After supper we repaired to our room
and had prayers. Our Belgian friends are very quiet
tonight. I feel the tropical sun very much. It is
quite different, even to that of la. I have not been
well all day, not sick, you know, but feeling badly,
but sm much better now and hope to have a good night's
rest.

Dec. 22 = Tuesday

I had a good nights rest, as I thought and got up feeling
much better. I am now
</next_page_context>

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