To turn over a manuscript copy of a book to a Chinaman who had already
some familiarity with the production of books in China, or who with a
given text could carve the blocks according to tradition, was then not
a matter of great difficulty. There were Chinese books which showed
what the result would be; there were Spanish books, definitely some
from Mexico, which provided samples of European characters and format.

Who cut the blocks--that is exactly what Chinaman--we do not know,
nor do we know who handled the presswork, but it is logical to assume
that the whole process took place under the supervision of the fathers
of San Gabriel, Juan Cobo if work had begun before 1592, and certainly
Nieva and San Pedro Martyr. One further aide may have been the lay
brother, Pedro Rodriguez, who had been sent to San Gabriel with Nieva,
and who was a handyman or skilled mechanic, for Aduarte credits him
with rebuilding and restoring the hospital.

In speaking of the book printed for Blancas de San José, Aduarte said
that the printing had been done by "a Chinaman, a good Christian,"
[123] but in this particular account he does not give the Chinaman's
name. Yet, where he describes the founding of a second church of San
Gabriel in Binondo, sometime after March 28, 1594 [124] and before
June 15, 1596 when it was admitted to the chapter, he tells in some
detail of printing done by Juan de Vera. [125]


"There have been in this town [Binondo, then called Minondoc]
many Chinese of very exemplary lives. Juan de Vera was
not only a very devout man, and one much given to prayer,