Fifty is _tanaha me ta umi_, 40 + 10; 76 is 40 + 20 + 10 + 6; 100 is _ua tanaha ma tekau_, 2 x 40 + 10; 200 is _lima tanaha_, 5 x 40; and 864,895 is 2 x 400,000 + 40,000 + 6 x 4000 + 2 x 400 + 2 x 40 + 10 + 5.[204] Such examples show that this secondary influence, entering and incorporating itself as a part of a well-developed decimal system, has radically changed it by the establishment of 4 as the primary number base.

The role which 10 now plays is peculiar.

In the natural formation of a quaternary scale new units would be introduced at 16, 64, 256, etc.; that is, at the square, the cube, and each successive power of the base.

But, instead of this, the new units are introduced at 10 x 4, 100 x 4, 1000 x 4, etc.; that is, at the products of 4 by each successive power of the old base.

This leaves the scale a decimal scale still, even while it may justly be called quaternary; and produces one of the most singular and interesting instances of number-system formation that has ever been observed.