Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Marine monsters 6.19): Equinilus is a huge and ferocious monster living in the Nile. It has legs and feet and claws like a crocodile, but much larger. It is very eager to cause human deaths. For when it meets a ship in the harbor, it fixes one foot on the ground, and with the other seizes the ship in front, very easily splits it, or sometimes sinks it if it wishes. Hence it is that in the places where it lives it destroys an immense multitude of men. But this good is given to the world, because this beast is very rarely found. It could not be caught by any means, except an iron net made of chains, which the Damascenes have wrought with wonderful skill. But if it is captured, it is killed only with iron hammers. Its skin is said to be one cubit thick, and to be so hard that no arrow or armor can penetrate it. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]