Some Bahamian officials say there could be as many as 25,000 Haitians there now.

The result, Bahamian officials say, is that prices of watches, leather goods, jewelry, china and perfumes are from 10 to 50 percent lower than in the United States.

But the two-week requirement, a Bahamian official said, can usually be waived on application to the Registrar General.

Public comments from Bahamian officials about the United States range from icy to vitriolic.

But he has denied that he or other Bahamian officials took money in exchange for ignoring such activities.

In the past, State Department officials have expressed concern that investigations of Bahamian officials would harm United States relations with the Bahamas.

Three helicopters sent by the United States ferried American and Bahamian officials to outlying islands that were in the eye of the hurricane.

Bahamian officials who interviewed the Haitians said they waded ashore from their crippled boat, where they were spotted on Wednesday night by several passing sailboats.

The two were turned away by Bahamian officials on arrival, however, because they lacked visas; they returned to Florida that same day.

The Bahamian officials freed the 128 slaves who chose to stay in the islands.