Transport Minister Wayne Furbert said the Boeing 747's private owner intended to register in the United States two weeks ago, but the registration in the large American federal bureaucracy could not be processed in time to meet the owner's deadline. The Americans recommended the Bermuda registry.

"It bodes well for Bermuda as a jurisdiction,''said director of civil aviation Mr. Herman Tucker.

The number of planes on the register has grown to 112, up from 105 last year and 75 three years ago.

"Although we're looking for growth, we're looking for quality growth,'' said Mr. Tucker, "I don't want to sound too snobby, but there are a lot of people out there that we don't want on our register, just like in other areas of international business. They would go to less reputable jurisdictions.'' MACHETE USED TO DAMAGE SCOOTER CTS Machete used to damage scooter Damaging a scooter with a machete m landed a 31-year-old Devonshire man in court.

Howard R. Joynes, of Cable Hill, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon and causing more than $60 worth of damage to Angela Trott's scooter which was parked outside the Anchorage Nightclub in the early hours of June 10.

Joynes told Acting Magistrate the Wor. Kenneth Brown he had been provoked and harassed by Trott's son earlier that evening.

He claimed that Trott's son had taken some money from him and had jumped him with a group of friends. Joynes said he ran off after the attack, found the machete m and used it to damage the bike.

Mr. Brown fined Joynes $200 for damaging the bike and $100 for possessing the machete.

ISLAND ATTRACTING FEWER VISITORS TOU Island attracting fewer visitors The total number of cruise and air arrivals last month left overall figures for the year down on 1994.

Even with increased arrivals from some countries the total figure of 509,912 arrivals was over six percent below that recorded last year.

The number of air arrivals was 7.1 percent short of last year's mark and cruise arrivals were 4.1 percent below. Altogether 58,891 passengers arrived last month with the US accounting for 49,738 of those.

The amount of time the visitors spent in Bermuda was down also with the 37,873 air arrivals only spending a total of 206,120 `bed nights'. This figure was down 8.7 percent from the previous year.

However the average amount spent on the Island by each US visitor for the third quarter of 1995 was up $21 from last year to a total of $1,412 each.